Frugalicious Mommies

     We all love the little Hummers, but did you know that the sooner you get your feeders out the more likely you will have "regulars"? They will build their nests closer to the most reliable food source they can find. The first ones they find typically fit the bill. The males come first to find food for their mates, they are the flashy ones, typically green or reddish with a red neck that shines in the sun. 


Recipe to make your own Hummingbird feed:


4 cups water ( get the water to a rolling boil)
2 cups sugar (stir in until mixed completely)


     You do not have to add red dye, its a fable, most Hummingbird feeders are attractive enough to catch the attention of the Hummers no need to add more chemicals to the mix. Wait until the mixture cools, pour into the feeder, ( I have noticed it's easier to use a measuring cup then to just pour, or if you have one a funnel would work great ) before you know it you will have lots of Hummingbirds, but if you want multiple families to come to your back yard, make sure to add multiple feeders to your yard, since they are very territorial and the males ( who come first ) will fight off other males. So have different feeders spread about the yard. Try placing one in the front yard as well. 


FM Brandy Hayward 

The dreaded words every experienced parent loves to hate. Family Vacation/travel.

Every now and then growing up my parents got the itch to pack up and head out for the weekend. I loved heading to the mountains, the beaches and to visit family in California. I love to travel I couldn't sit still and to this day my pore husband has to deal with it. I think there is maybe one day a week if he is lucky that I just want to sit at home and do nothing.

From the day my little girl was born she was destined to be well traveled. Every summer my husband and his fathers side of the family pack up for a weekend and head to the Sisters Rodeo. The heat, the dust and might I mention the cowboys wearing Wranglers. We love going and our little girl was 2 1/2 months old when she went to her first. She was so cute. Watching the rodeo and yes she was checking out the little cowboys her age. Mommy was so proud. :) First camping trip and rodeo was down all at once. The whole trip cost us less the $200. We camped in the back of our SUV. It fit all 3 of us perfectly. No one got cold.

Just a week later my parents decided to do a little road trip to Cali. Baby girl and her cousin just 4 days younger (that's for a different post.) had to go visit their great and great great grand parents. My mom and dad along with me in the back seat of their Buick between two infant car-seats. That was a long ride. Headed down I5 to sunny California. Between breastfeeding my girl and bottle feeding my nephew I was ready for some sleep. We made it and might I mention I only spent 50 bucks most of which was on trinkets with my little ones name on them. She got to visit the whole family and meet one of my best friends since I was 5 years old.

To top it all off she was 3 months old and had her first air plane ride. Baby girl got to go to Reno Nevada to watch her daddy bowl in the National Bowling Tournament.  She slept the hour and 20 min ride. From take off to landing. On the way home she ate pretty much the whole time. Now there really isn't much you can do in Reno with an infant but we made the most of it. We only spent $200. Most of which was on snakes and playing the slots. Being part of the Bowling tournament we got booklets filled with coupons for free play, food and other stuff. I even got a booklet to play the kids games at Circus Circus and tried to win her a stuffed animal. I did not so I ended up going to the gift shop and buying her one with a coupon a lady gave me because she felt bad I didn't win. Needless to say I bought her the cutest stuffed pig I could find and she loves it still. The flight and hotel room were Christmas gifts from his mom. So that is how we got away with the whole trip costing only $200.

This is just a tidbit of my Family Friendly Travel, Frugalicious Style. I will be posting local area attractions and places to visit. Ways to save money when taking the family out and how to make the most out of what little money you have to spend. We have done so much more and the stories are worth telling another time. I hope that you enjoyed our first post of Family Friendly Travel, Frugalicious style. Tell next time.

Kelly

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Did you know that crock pots aren't just for stew? Recently I have been discovering all kinds of recipes to make in the crock pot, in part because of free ebooks from Amazon. I did not get the recipe I used today from a cook book, I was just inspired by a recipe I saw in one.


Bacon  and Mushroom Meatloaf

1 1/2 lbs. groundbeef
8 slices of bacon (chopped and cooked)
1/4 cup of diced onion (cook with bacon)
1/2 cup crushed corn flakes
1/2 cup ketchup
1 egg
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
salt, garlic, and pepper to taste

"glaze":
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients for loaf together and press into a crock pot that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

Make the glaze and brush it on generously

Turn crock pot on low and cook for 8-9 hours.

I haven't had this recipe, so I can't tell you how it will taste, but it smells fantastic!

*BP*

Chenille Blanket!

                                               
                                                             Cloth Blocks and matching Chains
                                                               www.makeit-loveit-blogspot.com


                                                              
                                                                     

My 13 month old has started to do this thing where she starts screaming and arching her back and throwing herself on the ground. It seems she does it mostly with me, only sometimes with my husband. If I sit her down, won't give her something, tell her no or move her from something unsafe or block something like the stairs. I guess I can understand why she is doing it but I don't know how to handle it. I hope that I am handling it correctly. Most of the time I just let her do it and others I put her in her crib and let her cry. Mostly when I put her down for her nap. She wants to be rocked and I want her to fall asleep on her own. Any suggestions. Any help will really help.. I'm going to go bald. KM

I was recently given the opportunity to try out The Village Co.'s new line of natural baby bath products. If you aren't familiar with that name, I am sure that you are familiar with their line of Sesame Street Bath Playables, my kids absolutely adore the finger paint fun soap and who doesn't know who Mr. Bubble is?  When I heard about the new line of bath products, I could not wait to try it out! The package came to the door today and not a moment too soon, because today is my toddlers 2nd birthday and one of his favorite things to do is take a bath. Here is what I received:
I admit that I was most nervous about what this was going to smell like. On one hand, I don't like strongly scented bath products, for myself or my kids, but on the other hand, I do want my kids to smell like they are clean, because they can work up a stink! All three of these products have a nice light scent that I really liked. My little man really loves playing in the bath, so him and his sister have to be bathed separately.
 Sullivans bath style is perfect for this surprisingly foamy bubble bath!
Deirdre is just happy that she is nice and clean and that she didn't have to bathe with her brother again!

After bath time, it was lotion time. The lotion is thick, creamy and currently being hoarded by my big manly tough husband. So basically, its perfect. Its the perfect set of bath products, apparently for everyone in the family! This line is exclusively available at Target stores, need to know where your nearest Target is? The Village Company has a store locator right on their site! Discouraged that you don't see your state listed? DON'T WORRY! The Village Company has generously offered to give away 5 sets of  their Sesame Street Baby Naturals to our readers!

Required for entry:

Like The Village Company on Facebook
Follow Frugalicious Mommies blog on Google Friend Connect (to the right)

Extra Entries:
1 entry Follow The Village Company on Twitter
1 entry Like Frugalicious Mommies on Facebook



Leave one comment for each entry, and don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you if you win! If you do not leave your email, and I have no way to contact you. another winner will be chosen! This giveaway will run until 11:59pm PST on April 17th and winners will be chosen by Random.org on April 18th, my birthday! *BP*

(winners chosen by www.random.org)

#4-Kim C
#43-Kapumaka
#10-Lisa L
#21-Egoettner
#13-Tabathia


I was not compensated for this review in any way.