Monday 30 September 2013

DIY Halloween Tombstones!


This is a fun project for the kids and everyone else to. All it takes is:

An empty box
 packing paper
paint
markers
sponges, and paint brushes


First crinkle your packaging paper so it has some texture to it. Then wrap your box like a gift, don't worry if it isn't perfect your going to be painting over it. 


Next put on a coat of white paint and let dry.


 Once the first coat is dry add a coat of dark grey (I didn't have any grey so I made dark purple instead) Use a sponge to apply this coat so it gets a stone look.


Let that dry and then you can either continue with another coat just a couple shades lighter like I did (add white to the darker color) Or you can keep it dark. 


Once it is dry add your artistic touch and create your tombstone. I thought this one was funny. And now you have your very own amazing and super simple tombstone. You can create a whole graveyard if you want and keep them outside but you would need to apply a clear coat to weatherproof them!


Saturday 28 September 2013

DIY Mummy Votive Candle Holder


This week I am working on my Halloween themed crafts and decor. I saw this neat idea online for mummy mason jar candles, I had to try it. So I used some candle jars I had laying around. 


What you will need is:
  • Empty jars or containers
  • Medical Gauze
  • Hot glue gun
  • Googly eyes
  • Other Embellishments (optional)


It is quite simple, just cut strips of gauze and glue them to your jars, add embellishments and you can either use real candles or my fave flameless candles. Super simple and quick Halloween craft. These make wonderful gifts as well ;)


Friday 27 September 2013

Save time and money on dinners!



I have been trying to figure out a way to save time and money on meals and get more time to be social with my friends, as well as provide some original blog material. I have done a few potluck parties and always end up saving a huge amount of money with people pitching in on the food. So why on earth does a potluck dinner need to be a special occasion? I was thinking, depending on how close your are with your friends :) I could start having co-op dinners. Maybe start off with a couple times a month and see how things are going. Then you can easily do it as much or as little as you like. Another great way to save time and money is to do a freezer cooking get together. Where you can divide the cost of the food and supplies and make freezer meals together. You can invite as many friends as you want or can fit in your kitchen. Not only are you saving time, money, and sanity but you are having a fun time with a friend, doing something that is usually just a chore. I am one of those moms that doesn't have a very active social life, so trying to combine general daily deeds with my social activities seems to make sense. What do you think? Have you ever had a freezer cooking night with friends or family? Or regular potluck dinners? 




Monday 23 September 2013

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Review & Giveaway!




Ok so chocolate is the single most amazing creation known to human kind! And specialty chocolate the reigning champion! The Canadian chocolate champion would have to be the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory! They make the most amazing sweet treats you can imagine. From chocolate truffles to candy and caramel apples and everything in between! Luckily for me and my chocoholic self I was chosen to review some of their fall goodies! 


 Here is all the items I received in my package. They are so beautifully wrapped they make the most memorable gifts! And who doesn't like chocolate? And if your more of a caramel person they have these fantastic Pumpkin Spice & Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels. I almost ate the entire bag in one sitting. This morning I added a couple of them to my coffee for a delicious Pumpkin Spice Mocha!


The detailing on their confections is amazing! And well the best part is the taste, this chocolate melts in your mouth like silk it is outstanding! They have so many different things to choose from, little gift bags with foil wrapped chocolates or great big chocolate treats with extra candies like their delicious chocolate covered cranberries!

These two came with extra candies, the pumpkin came with orange jelly beans and the dark chocolate turkey came with the chocolate cranberries. And I measured them just to show you how large they actually are the pumkin stands at 4 inches tall and the turkey is over 5 inches tall.


You know that feeling you get when you go to the fair and see the candy and caramel apples in the concession stand window? You can get that feeling and as often as you want by going to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. And these apples are much more than just your fair ground treats, they have different coatings and candies and all kinds of super delicious toppings! Visit www.rockychoc.com to look at all their amazing treats and place your order today! They do international shipping to!

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

Now that I have made you get an extreme chocolate craving it is time for a giveaway! Do you want to try some of Canada's most delicious treasures? Well then enter the rafflecopter form below for your chance to win a $50.00 gift card to use online or in any Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory location near you.

 Scary Skull

Not a TRICK win a TREAT Caramel Apples

Also if you can please vote for my idea on the Aviva Community Fund that would be appreciated. Voting starts on September 30. I want to get a new Youth Centre built since ours burnt down. 

Thursday 19 September 2013

It is cold and flu season!

Wow this last week has been hell! Since last Friday my kids and I have been suffering a nasty cold/flu bug. It is a nasty one! My little baby has an ear infection in both ears and my daughter seems to have an irritating cough associated with the dreaded runny nose! My oldest has gotten better already, thank god. I am just like a zombie right now, I have had every symptom you can imagine from body aches, and sore throat, to throwing up with a high fever and everything in between. But life goes on, so I thought I would share with you some very exciting information. Next week I will be having another fantastic giveaway, and a delicious one at that. Patience is a virtue, it will remain a surprise until then. But keep checking back and be sure to sign up for email updates.

Saturday 14 September 2013

DIY Free Fall Decor!


I love to decorate for all the different seasons. It really helps me to get in the mood and enjoy it. But decorating can be expensive. And when your living on a very small budget (and still learning how to use it wisely) it can be very difficult and sometimes very sad. So here is what you need to do, put a smile on your face and realize how crafty you can be when you put your mind to it! The painting on the wall is from my melted crayon art I did a few weeks ago, in fall colors. I simply painted on a nice little leafless tree and voila a nice piece of art. But I noticed it still looked bare in that corner of my kitchen. I always like those big vases with really nice long decorative branches and sticks hanging out of them but they are like 20.00 just for the branches. Like that's ever gonna happen! So I thought since its fall and I have a leafless tree portrait why not make a decorative branch display of my own? 

You will need:

  • white paper
  • paint in fall colors (red,yellow,orange)
  • bare sticks or branches
  • sponges
  • scissors
  • tape or glue

Use sponges to and paint your white paper in layers of fall colors. Let it dry, then cut leaf shapes out of your pretty paper and either glue them or tape them to your sticks/branches. Place them in a vase or container and that's it! I only made a small display but you can scale this to be as large as you like, heck build an entire tree if you want. 

I think it brightens up my kitchen and really brings the fall decor into my home and it cost me absolutely nothing!




Wednesday 4 September 2013

WOWBUTTER Giveaway!

 
Wanna win an entire case of WOWBUTTER? You can eat sandwiches everyday for six months or share the WOWBUTTER with your friends and family. Either way WOWBUTTER is giving one lucky Funky Frugal Mommy reader a case of 6 X 1.1LB Jars of WOWBUTTER! Just enter below and good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read the post below for my review on WOWBUTTER.  

Tuesday 3 September 2013

WOWBUTTER Review!

 

There is nothing more budget friendly than good ole PB & J sandwiches. But how is it possible to send PB & J with all the nut free school policies? The truth is there is no way around it, until now. I have been lucky enough to stumble upon WOWBUTTER! 

 

WOWBUTTER is the alternative to peanut butter! It tastes amazing, and  WOWBUTTER is peanut free, tree nut free, gluten free, egg free, and dairy free. It is produced in a dedicated facility that manufactures only soy products. Here are the ingredients: Non GMO Toasted Soy, Soy Oil, Granulated Cane Sugar, Monoglyceride (from vegetable oil, prevents oil separation) and Sea Salt.


Under the label they have these really cool stickers for you to put on lunch containers or bags so your schools teachers know that you are using completely safe WOWBUTTER and not peanut butter.Their website is absolutely amazing, it has so much information and so many cool features like fundraising, sample request, recipes, all the nutritional information you could possibly need and so much more. Check it out at www.wowbutter.com  

 WOWBUTTER is available at many locations already but if you cant find it in your store they have a flyer you can print out and take to your store so they know about it and can begin stocking it. I am going to inform my local stores right away! You can also purchase it online at Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.