Welcome to 2015 ~ $50 Paypal or Amazon Giveaway (Winners Choice)

How would you like to start the New Year off right and win some cash?  Or maybe you would prefer a gift card!  I have teamed up with two great ladies, Stacy and Pamela, and we are giving you the opportunity to do just that... WIN!

Welcome to 2015!!

 GIVEAWAY!!
 

I hope you have an AWESOME year!

$50 PayPal or Amazon ~ Winners Choice!!

Giveaway will end 1/15/15

The more entries you earn the better chance you have to win!

Giveaway Sponsored by

Stacy from Dnbuster's Place
Bridget from Being Frugal and Making it Work
&
Pamela from MarksvilleandMe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enter below using the RaffleCopter form to enter for your chance to win $50!

Ringing in 2015 - Happy New Year!

 

How will you be welcoming the New Year?  I'll be honest here... my husband and I will be sleeping when the ball drops at midnight.  That's right, we are a couple of hard-core party animals!

I hope that the New Year brings you success and happiness.  Lets make 2015 the best year ever.
 
“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.”  ― Brad Paisley

Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Protect Your Smartphone with a Kobert Waterproof Case (Review)

 

 

We are a family that loves the outdoors and spend most of our free time during the summer at the lake.  We also spend a week on the Oregon Coast every summer, and I'm sure you can imagine what sand and salt water can do to your cell phone and camera.  Whether we are swimming, relaxing on the beach, or out on the boat -  it's important to make sure our valuables are protected from the elements. 

 

The first summer we bought our boat, we were putting our cell phones and husband's wallet in a ziploc bag to keep them from getting wet.  Then we started using a plastic container.  Knowing that both of these items were not 100% waterproof, we were taking a risk, but knew we were at least providing them with a little bit of protection.

For Christmas, I decided to take things to the next level, and was given the opportunity to give my husband a waterproof phone case for his cell phone.  As soon as he opened it, he was excited to try it and said it would be perfect for this summer!  My husband has a Samsung Galaxy s4 with a protective case on it and it fit inside perfectly!

The Kobert Waterproof Case will keep your phone dry while you enjoy your favorite water sport; whether you decide to boat, swim, ski, hike, surf, canoe, snowboard, jetski, fish, snorkel, and more. This durable waterproof phone case provides you total freedom to take your mobile phone with you wherever you are, no matter what you are doing! You can use your mobile phone while in the waterproof case and use both front and back cameras on your phone because the waterproof case has a see-through window on both sides.

Hydrate Your New Year in Style ~ Shatterproof Glass Water Bottle (Glasstic Review)

 

 
With the New Year less than a week away, New Year's Resolutions are on the horizon.  Of course, losing weight, getting healthier, and being more active are among the most popular resolutions of most people.  

There is one other thing I'll admit that I need to focus more on, and that is drinking enough water.  Staying hydrated is so important to our health and our body.  Finding a great water bottle can play an important role in drinking enough water.  I just happen to have fallen in love with Glasstic!

Glasstic Shatterproof Glass Water Bottles make it easy to bring a GLASS of water anywhere you go... to work, school, the gym... everywhere!  You might be thinking to yourself; a glass water bottle?  YES!  But this isn't your normal glass water bottle.  It is colorful, lightweight, easy to hold, and most importantly, SHATTERPROOF!  Making it safe and easy to take anywhere.

The Glasstic Shatterproof Glass Water Bottle is great for all of your favorite beverages and are greatly preferred by Essential Oil and Alkaline Water drinkers due to the glass water bottle insert that contains their infused water products.  Glasstic makes a terrific gift for these types of users!

My daughter (10 years old, has tried to steal my Glasstic shatterproof glass water bottle on more than one occasion.  In fact, I might have to order her one for her upcoming birthday so I can stop hiding mine!

In addition to being so easy to use, I absolutely love the variety and brightness of their available designs.  There is one to fit every personality, and they would make the perfect gift!

Some reasons users love Glasstic Shatterproof Glass Water Bottles:

NORAD Santa Tracker - Track Santa on Christmas Eve!

Can you believe that Santa comes tonight?  Here is something super fun for children to do on Christmas Eve before they head off to bed... they can track Santa and his every move with the FREE NORAD Santa Tracker.  You can also track Santa via your mobile phone!  How cool is that? 

I just checked and Santa was over the world's 47th largest country and 4th biggest island, Madagascar!

Merry Christmas From Our Family to Yours!

The Being Frugal and Making it Work family wants to wish you a very Merry Christmas!  I hope you have a day filled with joy, happiness, love, and most importantly MEMORIES!

 

The three stages of life:

1) You believe in Santa Claus
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus
3) You are Santa Claus

This Special Family Could Really Use a Christmas Miracle ~ And You Can Help!!

This is a time of year, when it is more important to think of others and remember that not everyone can count their blessings in the same way.  The story I'm about to share with you is real, and is actually my husband's cousin.  If you could take just a couple of minutes out of your day to simply "like" and/or "share" their story - it could make one of their Christmas wishes come true!

Just look at those sweet faces... how can you say no?!

"Thank you in advance for helping to not only help the Jacobson's win the van to get to medical appointments and work, but also to allow them to actually be able to return to living in their home instead of staying with family in town, sleeping on sofa and floor... The medical expenses they have been through since August are preventing them from providing a Christmas for their boys so the gifts and food would provide them with a Merry Christmas as well!

I would like to nominate my daughter, Jamie Jacobson and her family to win this prize. Jamie and her husband Ron married straight out of high school as they wanted to be able to bless his parents with grandchildren before they passed away, as they were both terminally ill with cancer. Unfortunately, Jamie had a miscarriage on Christmas day and lost their little girl, 4 months before Ron's father passed away, to be followed by his mother a couple of years later, both passing before Ron was 21 years old.

Following the death of Ron's father they learned that they were expecting a son, Colin, who was born almost 2 months early, and in spite of many set backs and complications, Colin was a fighter and grew out of the frequent seizures that would strike him without warning. Two years later Jamie became pregnant with their second son but the entire pregnancy was filled with complications, hospitalizations and finally Tucker was delivered 2 months early in order to save his life and that of Jamie as well. While Tucker was in the NICU fighting for his life, a standard test revealed that he had been born with Cystic Fibrosis. Tucker soon showed that he too was a fighter and he pulled through and although there were many challenges and hospital stays, especially during the first year, he has been a shining light in the family. 

Ten Tips for Making This the Ultimate Christmas For You and Your Family!

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday!  Many people think that in order for their children to have a wonderful Christmas, they have to spend a ton of money.  They buy the most expensive gifts and every item that their child has been asking for all year long.  I'll admit that I want my children to have the best Christmas each year and for them to get the things they have been wishing for.  I'll also be the first to admit that it is possible to do just that without spending a lot of money.

I'm going to share 10 Frugal Tips For Making this (and every year) the Ultimate Holiday Season for you and your Family!

1.  Make Memories!  Life is about making memories that are going to last a lifetime, it's very important. I have so many wonderful memories from my childhood.  My parents made sure to make the most of every moment and every day that we spent together. Since becoming a parent myself, I've always strived to do the same.  Memories are priceless and in the end, that's all we will have to hold on to.

 
2.  Start a New Tradition!  Traditions are the things that we look forward to each and every year.  Whether it's at Christmas, birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving or even summer vacation.  Traditions can be anything from new pajamas on Christmas Eve to a special holiday dessert.

 

Capture Those Special Holiday Memories ~ Canon is a Great Family Gift from Best Buy

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free!

  

My camera is the first thing I grab when the kids wake me up on Christmas morning!  I want to make sure that I don't miss a single moment, and I want to make sure I capture their expressions when they open their gifts.  It is special family memories like this that I want to be able to preserve and remember forever.

Having a high quality camera that takes great pictures is a must-have for any family.  I remember as a kid, my first camera was a 110 camera and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.  Times sure have changed, and I can't imagine what life would be like without my digital camera.  It goes almost everywhere with our family because I don't want to risk missing something!  

Best Buy is the ultimate destination for the latest cameras to capture your holiday memories. The Canon EOS Rebel T5i is one of the best-selling DSLRs. This camera makes advanced photography easy and fun, and gives you exceptional image quality, along with a host of features to enhance your creative expression.

Save $7 Off Select Tickets to ANY Harlem Globetrotter Game

Every year, my family looks forward to enjoying a fun family night with the Globetrotters!

 

Don't Miss The Harlem Globetrotters Coming to Seattle on Feb. 15. Save $7 Off Select Tickets to any Harlem Globetrotter Game with promo code FAMGUIDE now on sale! 

The iconic Harlem Globetrotters are coming to an arena near you with their unrivaled family show, featuring some of the greatest athletes on the planet. With incredible ball handling wizardry, amazing rim-rattling dunks and trick shots, side-splitting comedy and unequaled on-court fan interaction, this must-see event is guaranteed to entertain the whole family creating memories that will last a lifetime. 

The Globetrotters will face a great challenge this year against the Washington Generals who were the last team to beat the Globetrotters in 1971, and are now coached by a former member of that team. They are on a mission and will do whatever it takes to win, with a new strategy that is sure to give the Globetrotters a run for their money. 

Holiday Swag Code ExtravaDazzle at Swagbucks - Earn 35 SB TODAY! Starting NOW...

It's a Holiday Swag Code ExtravaDazzle at Swagbucks.com! Starting TODAY, Wed, 12/17 at 7am PT through 6pm PT (10am ET - 9pm ET), you can find multiple Swag Codes all across the Swagbucks realm. 

Try to redeem all 5 codes throughout the day for a total of 35 SB!

Check the schedule for when and where to find the next code -- and remember, if you joined the Ugly Sweater Party Team Challenge, you'll get points every time you redeem a Swag Code: 5 pts for your team if you redeem on the mobile app (US only) or the SwagButton browser extension. 1 pt per Swag Code if you redeem on your desktop!

Smarty Had A Party Helps You Host the Perfect Party

Planning parties has always been one of my favorite things to do, especially my kid's birthday parties.  It is so much fun planning the party theme, and then making sure that everything matches.  That includes the cake, invitations, party invitations, tableware, and decorations.  Everything has to be perfect!

Smarty Had A Party is the nation’s top-rated online party store for entertaining, from back yard pool parties to weddings, bridal showers, holiday dinners and special occasions. Smarty offers the widest selection of budget-friendly, elegant disposable dinnerware, eco-friendly party supplies and table linen on the web, enabling party and event planners to save the expense and hassle of rentals.

 

The thing I noticed most about my Fancy Cocktail / Hors d'oeuvre Party Set was the quality.  Everything was durable enough to last through any party and be used again at a later date.

Goodbye Nasty Breakouts, Hello Clear Skin with Clearasil

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Clearasil. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

About a year ago, my teen started experiencing breakouts.  I know how embarrassing and self-conscious you can feel when you have breakouts on your face, and it is even worse as a teenager.  Kids can be mean and breakouts are too!

I clearly remember how I felt when he woke up on picture day with a zit on his nose my freshman year in high school.  I was freaking out and completely horrified!  YIKES!  Although I'm positive that we have all experienced an embarrassing breakout at one point in our life, I felt like it was the worst day of my life!

My teenage son is active in wrestling, so personal hygiene is always a top priority and concern.  There are way to many skin rashes that are associated with wrestling, so taking proper care of his face (and skin) are part of his daily routine.

My son washes his face in the morning before leaving for school and then again before going to bed.  In the past he has always used blackhead astringent.  Two weeks ago he switched to using Clearasil in the evening and his normal product in the morning. 

 

Nutrisystem’s My Way Plan ~ Surviving the Holidays (Week 10 Results)

In exchange for participating in the Nutrisystem #NSNation Blogger Program, I will receive the Nutrisystem My Way program, free of charge, which includes food and support services for three consecutive months.  All opinions are my own.

 

Thanksgiving is the one day every single year that I always tend to eat way too much!  Everything looks and tastes so good, and by the time the day is over I feel bloated and tired.

The table is filled from one end to the other with temptations.  Turkey, ham, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, homemade rolls, jello dream salad, crackers and dip, and lets not forget my "go to" this year... a veggie tray.  Then, lets not forget dessert!

I made the decision to eat Thanksgiving dinner with everyone else, and do my best to practice portion control and making smart choices!  Instead of piling my plate high with everything - I ate a little bit of everything instead.  I enjoyed only one plate of dinner and didn't go back for seconds.

Hoodsbee ~ Pillow, Hoodie and Best Friend!

 

 

As much as I love my children, nieces, and nephews - there are often times that I refer to them as my little monsters.  As a result, I jumped at the chance to receive an adorable hoodie that turns into a stuffed monster - or a stuffed animal that turns into a warm hoodie, for my two-year-old nephew.

With his birthday less than a week away, I knew that this functional hooded jacket would make the perfect gift.  As an added bonus, the Hoodsbee also makes the perfect companion for my "little monster!"

 

Not only are they absolutely adorable, but the are super soft and warm.  Perfect for those cool mornings or evenings all year round.  Hoodsbee also folds up into a compact little critter that makes it easy for your little one to carry.

Old Factory Scented Candle Gift Set (Holiday Gift Guide ~ Review & Giveaway)

I love burning scented candles all year long, but even more so during the holidays.  I love burning scented candles that are holiday related because they bring the holiday to life and bring back childhood memories!

 

I was recently given the opportunity to sample an Old Factory Candles gift set in time for the holidays.  I knew that I wanted to choose candles with Christmas in mind, but I had no idea that it would be such a difficult decision.

I chose the Happy Holidays gift set which includes: Christmas Tree, Candy Cane, and Gingerbread scented candles.  I must say that these candles didn't let me down - they smell exactly how they are suppose to smell... just like Christmas!