My Review: Although it’s not warm enough yet for bugs to be buzzing around, even here in Florida, I was able to give the spray a try. It absorbs into the skin quickly and does not leave a greasy or oily feel. The odor is pleasant, with no chemical smell. I assume it’s the various oils that I smell, which is nice.

To Purchase: EcoSMART provides Insect Repellent for $7, 2 for $6.58 each and save 6%, 4 for $6.23 each and save 11% and 6 for $5.88 each and save 16%. You can also buy home pest products.

Giveaway: Win an EcoSMART Safe Picnic Value Bundle worth $23

The Rules:

1. Contest starts now and ends March 17th at midnight EST.
2. Open to adults 18 and over in the US.
3. One entry per household.
4. Winner chosen by Random.org.
5. Winner has 2 days to claim prize.
6. Have fun and tell your friends.

How To Enter:
For One Entry For Each Below: (please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Leave a comment about when you would use EcoSmart Insect Repellent.
2. Follow my blog on Facebook. (Please leave your Facebook ID)
3. Follow me, ConnieFoggles, on Twitter. (Please leave your Twitter ID)
4. Sign up for my FriendFeed (Please leave your FriendFeed ID)
5. Use the Bookmark widget/button under this post and share this post on any of the sites listed. (Please comment with which site you shared this post on.)
6. Tweet this exactly (You can tweet daily) Please leave a link to your tweet:

Win EcoSMART Organic Picnic Bundle @ConnieFoggles Ends 3/17 http://bit.ly/dkCoJa PL RT

I was provided with the insect repellent. All opinions are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Parents want to be sure the essentials are in order, food, electricity, water, shelter, but in doing so families may end up missing bill payments. There goes your credit rating. That will stay with you even when things get back to normal. Buying a car can be next to impossible because of that, but there are ways to get financed. Don’t give up. Look for places that help with bad credit car finance. Just be sure to check them out so that you are not paying high fees.

This is a sponsored post. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

We usually start getting warmer weather in mid-February, or even earlier. It’s actually been in the 30’s here in the past few days and we’re going stir crazy. My daughter won’t have off from school for spring break until April, so it’s time to get ourselves out of the doldrums and pretend it’s spring by celebrating.

1. Make tissue paper flowers. There’s lots of ways to make these. Use your imagination or get a craft book for more details.  Make lots of them and put them around the house or one specific room.
2. Have an indoor picnic. Make it as authentic as possible with real picnic foods and with the scenery too. Use blanket or table cloth on the floor, be sure the blinds are open, spread around some fake bugs and add lots of pillows to feel comfy.
3. Make bird feeders and study a book about birds in your area. You can even go birding, just dress for the weather and don’t forget your binoculars.
4. Plan a hike or camping trip. Then do it when the weather is more spring-like.
5. Plant some plants. Get them started indoors and then move them outdoors when it’s safe to do so. You can even get some vegetable plants going.
6. Make donations. Spring cleaning isn’t fun, but when you let your tween know that you are going to fill a donation box, at least there’s a better purpose for it. Celebrate after with a pizza party.
7. Create t-shirts. Use a kit, fabric paint, or make tie die shirts. Get ready for short sleeve weather.
8. Make a fruit salad. Find the freshest fruit possible and make a huge salad to devour.
9. Write a poem or short story about spring. Use your imagination to create a masterpiece explaining why you love the spring season.
10. Talk sports. Into baseball, soccer, softball? Get information on your local teams, players and their schedules. Discuss, plan when you can see them, decide if you’re going to join a team.

How would you like to celebrate spring? Do you have a family tradition already?

Danielle, Cathy Kent and Amanda

I have emailed all three. They have 48 hours to reply to claim their prizes. Congratulations!

Please be sure to check on my page named Giveaway Roundup. You can add your own giveaways or you can find giveaways from other bloggers. I share this page on Twitter often so you can be sure that your contest will get exposure.

While I am a breastfeeding proponent, I did use formula feedings to supplement once in a while. I also know that some mothers would rather use formula. I can teach about the importance of breastfeeding, but if formula feeding is chosen, it’s important to save money.

Babies R Us is helping parents do just that by introducing their own formula which costs much lower than store brand formulas, up to 50 percent lower. Along with formula they have a new infant care line which includes diapers, wipes and baby laundry detergent.

You can purchase these products online and in both Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores. If you spend $100 you get free shipping for online purchases. A can of 25.7 oz range from $12.99 – $15.99 online. depending on type. The types are – Milk Based, Soy Based, Lactose Sensitive and Gentle Milk Based. The most important thing is that the Babies R Us formula is just as healthy as store brand formula. It meets the nutritional levels of the American Pediatric Academy.

This a great way to save on products that are needed for your baby.

• Roasted Potato Foccacia
• Cream of Rosemary Potato Soup
• Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon
• Sweet Potato Corn Chowder
• Bistro Potato Salad
• And, the restaurant is even giving out the recipe for a guest favorite, Golden Yam Bisque, from February 15 – 28!

Great news about potatoes and your health -

• Low in calories
• Fat Free
• Cholesterol free
• Packed with potassium
• High in Vitamin C if eaten with the skin

The Sweet Tomatoes near me is one of my all time favorite places to eat with my family. I love their salads, bakery items, soups and desserts. There’s something for everyone including my picky daughter. We’ve made eating there a family tradition that we cherish. I love the new menu choices each month and February’s Potato Fest sounds like it will be top of the line for me.

Did you know that you can follow Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes on Twitter? Play games and win guest passes. Same for their Facebook page and there you can learn about new store openings and promos too.

Giveaway: 3 Winners! 2 Meal Passes to Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes

The Rules:

1. Contest starts now and ends Feb. 28th at midnight EST.
2. Open to adults 18 and over in the US.
3. Winners will be chosen by Random.org.
4. Winners have 2 days to claim prize.
5. Have fun and tell your friends.

How To Enter:
For One Entry For Each Below: (please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Leave a comment about your favorite way to eat potatoes.
2. Follow my blog on Facebook. (Please leave your Facebook ID)
3. Follow me, ConnieFoggles, on Twitter. (Please leave your Twitter ID)
4. Sign up for my FriendFeed (Please leave your FriendFeed ID)
5. Use the Bookmark widget/button under this post and share this post on any of the sites listed. (Please comment with which site you shared this post on.)
6. Follow Souplantation on Twitter. (Please leave your Twitter ID)
7. Tweet this exactly (You can tweet daily) Please leave a link to your tweet:

Win 2 Meal Passes Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes @ConnieFoggles  3 Winners! http://bit.ly/aask6h PL RT

This is not an compensated post. All opinions are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

I’ve sent an email to Jennifer. She has 48 hours to reply to claim her prize. Congrats!

The Animal 500 is the most difficult race of the year and although Snow wants to win, he remembers to keep be a teammate. Even when another racer tries to play dirty, Snow remains polite as he was taught. The race itself through the illustrations and the writing is very exciting.

Written by Demi Knight Clark, Snow Takes the Checker! is one in a series of books about Snow. All books support Racing for Wildlife. Ryan Newman, #39 of NASCAR, has teamed with the author and the non-profit to help keep untouched spaces outdoors for animals.

My Review: Snow Takes the Checker will keep your child’s attention easily. It’s as if you are hearing a sportscaster talk you through the twists and turns of a race. The illustrations are colorful and inviting. You’re sure to hear, “read this again!” the lessons of friendship and being a team player ring throughout the story.

Purchase: Snow Takes the Checker! is available on Amazon.com for $12.55 or from the website The Snow Horse.

Disclosure: I was provided with this book for a book tour by Parent Reviewers. All opinions are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

From an adult point of view, you can see that Catty is lonely. From a child’s point of view, she comes across as mean, especially when she tells a girl that her clothing was “ugly”. This girl, Lucy Hope,  feels sad and angry about this offense.

When she tells her mother about what happened, her mother gives her advice about Catty. She doesn’t tell Lucy to avoid her or to get back at her. She says, “Her heart is empty, don’t you see?” Lucy considers this and decides to become friends with Catty. What will the outcome be? Read Catty Wompus – A Tale of Friendship to find out!

My Review: Catty Wompus should be required reading for every child! The author, Julie Howe has written about a true experience that has left an imprint on her. This story will leave an imprint on you and your child. The messages about friendship, reaching out to others, kindness in the face of meanness is something we all need to learn and re-learn.

Purchase: Catty Wompus – A Tale of Friendship is available on Amazon.com for $14.50.

More Information:  Read about the author, the book and the illustrator, Chason Matthews from the Catty Wompus website.

Disclosure: I received this book as part of a book tour with Parent Reviewers. All opinions are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

When our daughter was just an infant, we began traveling and it was so easy. She slept, we drove. She was in her stroller, was nursed, and/or ate anything we gave her and slept wherever, whenever. As a toddler, she was a happy traveler too. She loved seeing new things, having her photos taken and even sleeping in her car seat. As she grew, little issues came up, she would begin asking the age old question, “when will we get there?” and saying, or whining, “I’m bored!”.

That’s when my husband and I used some of the old tricks our parents used. Here’s our top ten family vacation tips:

1. Talk, actually discuss things during the drive. You’ll be surprised how much fun and laughter you’ll end up having. Sometimes, some serious issues may come up that your child wouldn’t likely open up about otherwise.
2. Sing together. You may need the radio to get you going with this, but there’s nothing easier to bring a smile to everyone’s face when you’re singing, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”.  You may end up singing Old MacDonald after that!
3. Plan your trip together. Even though we’ve probably gone over what we’ve going to do in advance, it’s still a lot of fun to discuss last minute plans or just go over our plans.
4. Play some games. Remember car bingo? Yes, we still play that. We also read billboards and find odd color cars, like orange. Prizes? A desert when we stop for food or a souvenir for $1.
5. Choose a place to eat. We try to save money on our trips so we do a lot of eating in our hotel room, but we do plan on eating out a few times each trip. Each family member gets their choice of a place to eat (within some limits of course). If you don’t need reservations, you can do this during the drive.
6. Bring a camera or two. This sounds logical, but we also have our daughter bring her own camera. It’s an inexpensive digital made for children. She can take the photos she wants and keep them for her memories. She even uses it in the car.
7. Take time to soak it in. Don’t schedule every minute of your vacation. Plan some down time so you can just hang out, go swimming, stop to see something unusual or interesting. This can make the most memorable moments of your trip.
8. Don’t spend too much money. Some people think that going on luxurious vacations is the only way to have a good time. This is the farthest from the truth. Some of our favorite memories are stopping at a quiet rest area and eating a picnic of sandwiches that we packed.
9. Find unusual souvenirs. Sure there’s tons of coffee mugs, key chains, stuffed animals and t-shirts, but look for things that may not even have the name of where you’re visiting. Find something in the woods, or by the lake, or in an old country store. Let your children choose an item that reminds them of something you did together, like a photo that you can make a frame for at home.
10. Go with the flow. The weather may be awful, your hotel room may turn out to be a mess, but being together is what matters most. Go to a museum, find an out of the way motel, talk to some locals and learn what they do for fun. Enjoy!

This post is being written as part of a contest at Twitter Moms.  I along with other bloggers were asked to write about our top ten ideas for a fun, distraction free family vacation. Alamo is providing $30 gas cards to the first 50 bloggers who enter. I am also entered into a contest for a $100 gas card.

(Alamo Rent A Car is a value-oriented, internationally recognized brand serving the daily rental needs of airport leisure travelers. Alamo offers low rental rates and a fun, hassle-free customer experience at the most popular travel destinations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific Rim.)

Travel Tips for Moms & FamiliesReserve Now | Quicksilver | Online Check-in | Pre-pay & Save | Self-Service Kiosk

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• Children Save Money For Vacations
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