The Thriftynistas

Review: Bailey Berry’s BB Stars Kids’ Shoes

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Yolonda | 32 Comments

I’m always looking for cute and fashionable clothes and shoes for Goo and when I came across Bailey Berry’s I knew I had to get my Goo Goo a pair.

I totally fell in love with BB STARS™ and the eco-friendliness of them. These cuties are made of recyclable materials and washable. Not to mention the reversible straps that gives Goo four different strap designs to choose from. Next week my boo will be four and she already has her own sense of style.

BB STARS™ are designed for children ages 1-8 and here are many of the other great qualities:

Anti Microbial
Comfortable
Ergonomic
Lightweight
Protective

Awesome right! I can’t wait for our trip to Disney this year so Goo can have fun on the beach in these.

The Thriftynistas did receive a press sample for review purposes.

For more information on Bailey Berry and their line, head over to the website.

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Posted in Reviews

Tagged Children, Eco-friendly, ergonomic, recycle, shoes

Using eMeals to Plan Healthy Meals

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Yolonda | 33 Comments

The new year is rapidly creeping in and I’m struggling to keep pace. There are so many things I need to do so that I’m ready for the new year.

Ready or not, here it comes.

As the year comes to a close, I have to admit that one of the many things I struggled with in 2012 was eating healthy. Well, not so much as eating healthy but really just eating. There are many days I only eat one meal a day and I know it’s not healthy. I’m gradually working on this problem, one day at a time.

My goal for 2013 is to plan out my meals and eMeals looks to be a great tool in getting started.

eMeals offers over 50 delicious meal plans and corresponding grocery lists every week based on food style preferences, family size and the current sales at selected grocery stores. Dinner menu plans include classic family meals, low-fat, portion control, low-carb, gluten-free, vegetarian, clean eating, paleo, and the natural and organic plan. For more information, please visit www.emeals.com.

I actually have my eyes set on the vegetarian plan. I’m in the process of transitioning to a candida diet and in many ways the vegetarian diet will be right up my alley.

So as 2013 approaches, what changes are you looking to make to your diet and how can eMeals help?

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Posted in Random

Free Admission to Museums in the U.S.

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Yolonda | 21 Comments

This weekend, December 1 & 2, Bank of America and Merill Lynch cardholders can get Free Museum Admission at over 150 Cultural Institutions across the country.

Head over to check out the full list of participating institutions.

→ 21 Comments

Posted in Deals, Freebies

Tagged Culture, Free, Museum

How Far Along Are You?

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Christi | 26 Comments

Every time I go online to the www.babycenter.com or some other site, I can’t help but compare my stomach to the women I see. Some of them look like they are just returning from the gym and I already look like I want to give birth any minute now. I am serious; I am huge! Just as I was with Jonah, I retain fluid and it doesn’t help that I am only 5’2” tall. Therefore, my torso area is short or non-existent and everything has nowhere to go except for out. I am contemplating posting a picture, but right now at 9 week, I am too embarrassed; even among family.

I’m not eating for two (I learned that was just an excuse to overeat in the first pregnancy) and I am making such healthy choices. I mean seriously, how many people wake up at 3 in the morning and snack on grapes? Not many; this is usually a sweet treat snack time, but again I am being cognizant of the fact that I am older and things are just much different this time around. Speaking of which, my husband really felt funny about being intimate during my first pregnancy, but this time, he is not shy and sometimes I place my hands over my belly-button so the baby can’t hear what he is saying. Before you judge me, I know that is not where the baby’s ears are, but that is the only hole that I visualize with words seeping into her psyche (the baby’s sex has not been confirmed, but I just think it is a girl).

Either way, I will post a photo just to share this laugh with you, but I will wait until Friday when I return from the doctor. In the meantime, I am going to visit the little girl’s room for the umpteenth time today. I am so sleepy that I pray that I don’t fall into the toilet as my grandma used to say. Until next time…

Christi

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Posted in Family, Mothering

Tagged beauty, Children

Family Night with the Amazing Spider-Man #CBias #SpiderManWMT

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Yolonda | 33 Comments

I think the Amazing Spider-Man is really my nephew T.J. Really!

You see, he is Spider-Man everything! He was dressed up as Spider-Man for Halloween. He has Spider-Man sneakers, rain boots, t-shirts…if it’s Spider then it’s him.

He is definitely about that Spider-Man life.

When the opportunity to get an advanced copy of the Amazing Spider-Man on Blu-ray from Walmart presented itself, I knew we had to get in. Besides, who doesn’t love a superhero. Save me…

To get this party started, I headed over to Walmart to get our Marketside Pizza. A party ain’t a party without pizza or so that’s what the kids say anyway.

I also wanted to have a little fun with the in-store trigger points but my store didn’t have any up yet. Bummer!

But I did get to play around with the pizza box. This augmented reality is so cool and real looking that’s it’s scary.

The kids just love this…the grown kids too!

Before you head to Walmart, be sure to download the Amazing Spider-Man Augmented Reality enhanced Web Slinger app on iTunes here and on Google Play here. Also, before you leave home click on the “web shooter” option inside the app. You’ll need wi-fi to download it so do it before you leave home.

Are you excited?

Well head over to Walmart and pre-order your copy of Spider-man for DVD and Blu-ray and they will provide you with a code to stream a digital copy of the movie on Vudu.

Create your own comic with the app. The kids just love this.

Go to the Amazing Spider-Man’s website to find more awesomeness about the movie and the app. Since my Walmart store didn’t have the trigger points up, I”ll probably get in there this week ~~just to~~ and check them out.

Can you point out the real Spider-Man?

We enjoyed our Spider-Man party on such a beautiful day. Luckily the party was over when the rain came. You can see more from our fun-filled day in our photo gallery.

The Amazing Spider-Man movie will be in Walmart stores on November 9th but you can get your advanced copy TODAY! Don’t forget to get your Marketside Pizza so you all can have some web shooting fun!

In the meantime, stay in the Spider-Man know! Follow the Amazing Spider-Man on Twitter and like the Amazing Spider-Man on Facebook.

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment #CBias #SocialFabric #SpiderManWMT

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Posted in Family

Tagged family fun, movie night

How Did I Get Pregnant?

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Christi | 21 Comments

My husband is always approaching me with his “18” year old sexually frustrated antics and my rebuttal has always been my “41” year old egg response. In other words, he always desires me and I am always saying that we can’t waste our efforts during the time when I am not ovulating; especially if we want to get pregnant at this age. My compromise was that we could give in to our desires the entire time that my window of opportunity was open, so I installed the My Days app on my iPad to ensure we would always be prepared.

Well one morning in September as he was getting ready for work, he asked in his slick tone if we could meet up in the other bedroom. At first I said no, and then I said yes. I figured he didn’t have much time, so why not (ladies, I know you all feel me on this one). Preface: This was the last day my window would be open for this month. We met up in the spare room to proceed, and maybe 8 minutes into our activities, my husband catches a cramp and has to stop! Yes, he stopped before the ship had docked. Oh well, I thought, there is always next month (October).

Ladies, October came and then I looked at My Days to confirm when my cousin flow would be in town and when I could open my window again. That scheduled day came and went, then another, then another, then another. Hmmm, scratching my chin and looking perplexed; maybe I am just late because I am trying to lose weight. No problem, and by the way, this fatigue is killing me so I am going to go and get a B-12 shot. I went to get the shot on Tuesday morning and I was still dragging. Wednesday morning on the way into the office, traffic got crazy so I exited the expressway to take the streets. Now I have to pee and I am nowhere close to work. Well since I am already late and sleepy, why not stop and buy a pregnancy test. I did, I used it as soon as I got to the office, and this is what I got!

How did this happen?

How is this possible? The ship never docked! Reply from nowhere: “You are not in charge, so get out of my seat because I am the Pilot of this life.” My response, “Okay God, you win again as usual.”

Christi

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Posted in Mothering

Tagged Children, My Days app, pregnancy test, prenancy

Free Admission to Museums in the U.S.

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Yolonda | 1 Comment

This weekend, November 3 &4, Bank of America and Merill Lynch cardholders can get Free Museum Admission at over 150 Cultural Institutions across the country.

Head over to check out the full list of participating institutions.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Deals, Freebies

Tagged Culture, Free, Museum

Giveaway: Rachel Ray Cookware Set

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Yolonda | 3 Comments

I don’t know about you but mama needs some new cookware. The set I’ve been eying is the Rachel Ray Cookware set. I’m a huge fan of Rachel and if these work for her then I know they will work for me.

But this isn’t about me, it’s about you. Yes, about you winning your very own Rachel Ray Cookware set. Awesomesauce, I know! Now get your Entry on!

Welcome to the Give Thanks Rachael Ray Cookware Event!

Hosted by Mom Blog Society and Mom to Bed by 8

Special thanks to our lovely co-hosts Capri’s Coupons, Swank Savings, and My Vegan Gluten Free Life!

The stylish two-tone gradient exterior on the Rachael Ray Porcelain 10-piece set adds color and style to any kitchen. This cookware heats quickly and evenly, reducing “hot spots” that can burn foods. A long-lasting nonstick interior allows food to slide off and makes cleanup quick and easy. The rubberized dual-riveted handles are comfortable and oven safe to 350 degrees. Watch your foods cook without having to remove the lid to keep moisture locked in. Comes with a Lifetime Limited Warranty.

Number of Pieces: 10
Includes: 2-qt. Saucepan with Lid, 3-qt. Saucepan with Lid, 6-qt. Stockpot with Lid, 8.5″ Skillet, 1-qt. Saucepan with Lid, 10″ Skillet
Features: Clear Glass Lid, Riveted Handle, Nonstick Coating
Pan-Pot Material: Porcelain
Handle Material: Rubber
Lid Material: Glass
Finish: Enameled
Baking cooking surface: Nonstick
Care and Cleaning: Oven Safe up to 350 degrees, Hand-wash Only
Warranty Description: Lifetime Limited Manufacturer Warranty

One lucky reader will receive a Rachael Ray Porcelain II Orange 10pc Set!

Giveaway ends November 15th at 11:59pm, open to US and Canadian residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

Continue reading →

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Posted in Giveaways

Tagged cooking, cookware, giveaway

Safeguard your Life with LifeLock

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Yolonda | 5 Comments

I often tell people that when they’re sleeping I’m up thinking because I’m a night owl. However, when we’re slipping the thieves are creeping. It doesn’t matter if we’re awake or asleep, thieves are always looking for opportunities to come up.

How will you protect you and your family?

With the holiday season in full gear, it is important that we protect our virtual footprints and real life tracks as well. We often get in a mode of pulling out our credit cards for any and everything, from donating to charities to paying for stick of gum.

October marks National Cyber Security Awareness Month and National Crime Prevention Month and with good reason. Again, as we prepare for the holidays thieves are preparing to catch us slipping. However, that is where LifeLock comes in.

LifeLock monitors your identity so you can enjoy your life and spend time with those who matter. They work hard to offer the security you value and deserve. For instance, LifeLock tracks your identity and alerts you if a credit or non-credit account is opened in your name. They also scan sites to make sure your identity isn’t being offered on thievery sites and also notify you if the personal information on your bank account is changed.

Now that’s a safety net. In addition, LifeLock offers up to $1 million as apart of their service guarantee. The $1 million will be used to track down the thieves and work to convict them.

Here are just some of the features offered with a LifeLock membership:

Alerts of potential threats–both credit and noncredit related
Online access to a personalized dashboard showing current threats
Relentless monitoring for expo

sure of your personal information
Member services with local phone support—24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Stolen or lost wallet remediation services to help cancel and replace credit and debit cards
Comprehensive recovery services if you become a victim of identity theft on our watch.

Who couldn’t use this? As compensation for writing this post I received a free LifeLock membership. However, LifeLock wants us all to be protected so below you can enter to win your very own 1-year membership to LifeLock.

Tell us about an identity theft or credit scare you’ve had. You can read mines here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Posted in Giveaways, Thrifty Tips

Tagged Advice, credit monitoring, giveaway, identity theft, protection

Guess Who’s Having a Baby?

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Christi | 9 Comments

Greetings Thriftynistas Family!

It has been such a long time since I was able to post, but know that so much has happened since then. I won’t get into all of the specifics/details about my life prior to today, but I did want to share some exciting news with you. Drum Roll…I’m Pregnant! If I had to use two words to best describe how I feel right now, those words would be excited and scared. My husband and I have talked about having another child since the birth of Jonah two years ago. I envisioned that I would get pregnant immediately following his birth because I wanted the siblings to be just like me and my sister; exactly 13 months apart. But I must be in honest in saying that the desire to follow through with this plan quickly faded into the backdrop as I began to witness just how much work was required to be a parent. Now, two years later, I feel that I have the right foundation that is required when making the decision to be a parent. By that I mean this is not a surprise to me and this ain’t my first time at the rodeo; if you know what I mean.

If you are wondering what this means for our time together, just know that I intend to journal this pregnancy up through delivery. I don’t know how this will look for me especially since I am away from home working full-time for one job and part-time for another, all the while maintaining my consulting business. It is not an option for me to check out, get sick, be run down, or exhibit the woe is me attitude. Why Superwoman is real; and she exists in each and every one of us. What I envision is just having the platform to share and release and ask questions that are real and honest throughout this journey for me. I want your input; I value your input. So let’s buckle up and get ready to make this trip together.