Funky Frugal Mommy

I am a bit of a gamer at heart, I love Mario and Zelda games the most. My kids and I enjoy sitting together on our days off and gaming out. Don't get me wrong 75% of my kids play time is outdoors, but when the weather is gross, we are sick or it has gotten dark out and we have time to kill there is always a bit of gaming time. I love our Wii mini. It was cheaper than regular Wii's with internet capabilities but I don't need that feature so the savings made sense. You can get second hand Wii's for next to nothing these days. Check Castanet if you live in the Okanagan. One of my favorite games of all time is Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2. They are a blast to play for all ages. I love how unique the gameplay is, your in space collecting stars all over the galaxy. Since your storming around in space gravity is totally out of whack so you have fun figuring out the crazy controls while walking upside down and sideways on the walls and ceilings. There is al

You know when you find something online and you really want to buy it but would prefer to get a better deal. You go around googling promo codes to save some cash and can't find anything or any codes you do find won't work? This is extremely frustrating and time consuming. Wouldn't it be nice to get great deals and get paid for shopping? Welcome to Giving Assistant ! I was shopping today for some online only Walmart deals and actually got money back for purchasing stuff I was already going to buy in the first place. This is the kind of stuff that Canadians need to get through this economic crumble. It feels so nice to know my hard earned money is actually working in my favor for once. The more stuff you buy online the more money you get back, and since you are going to be shopping for stuff already doesn't this just make sense? So shop your favorite retailers like Kohl's , Sears , Forever 21 , and much more! Summary on Giving Assistant : Givi

Music is one of the most joyful events in life. It can make you feel better when your down and out and has so many other benefits. Music has so many health benefits it is amazing: 10 Benefits of Music best walkie talkies to use with your kids Music & Child Development Benefits of Music Education How Music Can Change Your Brain Benefits of Music Resource When I drive with my kids in the vehicle I like to ensure they are listening to music that is suited to their age. They all adore the hot hits on the radio but some of the lyrics can be a bit inappropriate. I love the hot hits on the radio to which is why I am so addicted to Kidz Bop .  Kidz Bop has all of today's music sung by the most talented kids I have ever heard. The lyrics have been switched up just a tiny bit to suit kids of all ages. My kids bellow the words with smiles and laughter and I can be sure they aren't singing about topics way beyond their years.  You can get your copy at an

Is “juicing” a fad or is it here to stay?  What is most important to know about juicing are provenance, preparation and combinations.  Where is the food item sourced from, who is handling it, how is it processed, and what combinations of food are important medicinally?  There are so many juices out there. Each city has local favorites such as Easy Being Green, Juice Generation, Evolution Fresh, Jugo Fresh, and Blue Print.  Sipping your nutrients has been popular for several years.  And it's no surprise—the “It drink” can provide you with loads of health benefits by upping your intake of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. The problem is, there's a lot of confusion about how to juice.   Dr. Michael Hall is a general practitioner and founder of The Hall Longevity Clinic in Miami Beach.    Dr. Hall cautions that, “One must be savvy and know how to read between the lines at a super market or  juice bar.” Dr. Hall decodes some of the common “juice” terms and points out commo

Taste Canada Awards Taste Canada Awards to honour Canada’s best culinary writers in six categories Call for Submissions: 2016 Food Blog Category - Starting February 24 Deadline for  Book  Submissions: February 24   Taste Canada Awards (tastecanada.org) invites all Canadian bloggers to submit entries to the  2016 Food Blog Category . Submissions for the Food Blog Category will open officially on February 24 (visit  tastecanada.org  for the submissions link which goes live on Feb 24).   The deadline for blog submissions is March 24, 2016.   Taste Canada will honour two blogs, one in English and one in French, authored by Canadian citizens. Three-person jury panels drawn from Canadian academic, publishing, creative, and institutional fields will review submissions. The shortlist will be announced on September 13 th , 2016, and the winners will be revealed at the Taste Canada Awards Gala in the fall of 2016.   The Food Blog Category was modified this year to reflect the best Canadia

West Kelowna Fire Rescue is encouraging the residents of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation to join other communities across Canada and participate in local mitigation projects that will help reduce the risk of wildfire on Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, May 7, 2016. By committing a couple of hours, or the entire day, residents can join others throughout the nation to raise community wildfire awareness, help protect homes and neighbourhoods, and work towards becoming a FireSmart community. Activities can be coordinated by anyone – individuals, groups, or an entire neighbourhood. To find out more information on Wildfire Preparedness Day or for project ideas for your community, visit www.firesmartcanada.ca. Share your community projects with West Kelowna Fire Rescue by contacting, 778-797-3200. To help assist with these projects, up to twenty $500 funding awards have been made available. Apply now until March 12, 2016 for your chance to receive fundi

I have a major sweet tooth and enjoy adding healthy tidbits to my delicious sweets. Natures Path makes it super easy to add super foods to your recipes. Like my puffed wheat squares, not only are they chocolatey and delicious but now have an added kick of goodness from chia, buckwheat and hemp found in Natures Path Qia Superfood cereal. Superfood Puffed Wheat Squares 1/4 cup margarine 1/2 cup corn syrup 4 tbsp cocoa 1/4 cup brown sugar 8 cups puffed wheat cereal 1 cup Natures Path Qia Superfood Cereal 1. Add margarine, corn syrup, cocoa, brown sugar to a large pot and bring to a boil.  2. Bring pot off the heat and add puffed wheat and Qia and slowly mix until cereal is well combined.  3. Press mixture firmly into a buttered cake pan and let set for an hour. Cut into squares and enjoy. 

Canada Blooms highlights the importance of rain gardens and storm water conservation From the dawn of agriculture, rain has played an essential role in the lives of farmers and gardeners by aiding in the growth of crops and flowers. Fresh rainwater provides vital nutrients that will ensure the health and longevity of your garden while protecting the environment and this year, visitors to Canada Blooms will learn how simple it is for homeowners to harvest this vital resource and create their very own rain garden. "Rain gardens are a brilliant concept," says Terry Caddo, General Manager of Canada Blooms. "By creating some small adjustments in your home garden you can not only create a fuller, lush garden, but you will also help improve water quality in nearby bodies of water and ease the strain on our environment." Rain gardens are natural or man-made rainwater runoffs that allow storm water to be soaked into the ground and plants rather than flowing in

In the six years that have passed since the first edition of  In Her Own Sweet Time   was released by Basic Books, a lot has changed. In 2009, as one of the pioneers of egg freezing, Lehmann-Haupt went on  Good Morning America  and declared companies need to pay attention to the changes in women’s lives and better support them by covering this technology on their health plans. Today, delaying marriage and childbirth to invest in one’s career has become the norm, as women edge out men as the new majority in the workplace. To attract and retain top talent, major employers like Facebook, Apple and Google have incorporated egg-freezing coverage into their health benefits packages – and the procedure is no longer considered “experimental” by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. There’s no denying strides have been made. Now, it’s time to reconsider how this generation is faring in the midst of these rapidly shifting social conventions – and what information is readily avail

TURFMUTT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM EXPANDS WITH NEW MATERIALS AND $5,000 GRANT CONTEST DEVELOPED WITH SCHOLASTIC Contest for Students at Schools with Grades K-5 Announced, Entry Deadline April 6, 2016   Learning how to take care of the planet and studying science just got more fun with TurfMutt, an environmental stewardship and education program for kids, teachers and families. TurfMutt announces today its annual “Be a Backyard Superhero” contest, which awards a $5,000 grant to improve two winning schools’ green spaces, and the addition of new in-classroom materials for grades K to 5, including a new digital storybook titled “The West Coast Mission,” an online climate change game, and lesson plans for teachers at scholastic.com/TurfMutt Created in conjunction with Scholastic, the  global children’s publishing, education and media company, the TurfMutt program helps students in grades K to 5 learn about science and the environment from the perspective of the

A few simple steps to enhance its performance and make it last Winter may have been late arriving this year, but spring is still just around the corner and thoughts are turning to warm afternoons in the backyard grilling juicy steaks, delicious hamburgers or seasonal vegetables. But you want to make sure you can get the most out of your grill. To make it last and improve its performance, take a few minutes to ensure your grill is clean and ready to go. Your taste buds will thank you! “Springtime is quickly approaching, but there are a few things you will want to do before you take the cover off and get to cooking your favourite cuts of meat,” says Stephen Schroeter, Senior Vice President of Napoleon. “After a long winter in storage — or a winter where you have been grilling throughout the cold — follow a few simple steps to improve the life and performance of your grill.”. Here are Steve’s tips for getting your barbecue ready in the spring: ·           Clean th

Determining a roof covering leak (failure) is fairly easy. You may see staining on your ceiling near drywall joints. As water travels it seeks the easiest way out. The weakest point in a drywall panelled ceiling is where sheets of drywall meet. To join the sheets, drywall mud is applied and sanded off to a smooth finish. When water penetrates through a drywall joint the stain starts as a circle shape and then progresses to a linear shape. Longer stains are an indicator of severity.  Your roof is expected to fulfill various functions for extended periods under extremely harsh and uncontrollable conditions. Changes in the performance of this roof is directly related to the initial design, the degradation mechanism(s) taking place, as well as the intensity, frequency, and fluctuations of applied loads. Remaining service life isn’t always a function of age. Estimating the general reliable service life of all types of roof coverings is pretty straightforward. Predicting exactly when a