Frugal Southern Mom

   Spring has arrived in the south. Time to dig your hands in the rich soil in the ground and plant veggies, herbs and flowers. Their isn’t anything better than to bite down on a ripe tomato or make a pitcher mint tea and just sat on the porch swing and take in the floral sweet smells of a southern afternoon.  Today I was thumbing through a new cook book, I had picked up on the clearance shelf at Books a Million and found a great article on herbs! It’s amazing the many things you can do with herbs planted in your garden.  Bee Stings:  you can ease the pain and swelling by rubbing it with crushed leaves of comfrey or basil! (Be sure to remove the bee stinger first). Naural Mouthwash:  Steep 3 cups of boiling water with 1 tablespoon of anise seed, dried peppermint, and rosemary for 15 minutes. (Double if your using fresh herbs), Strain, cool and refrigerate to use as needed. This is only to freshen your mouth not to be swallow! Hair Rinse:  Blonds and br...

Picking veggies can be fun and  it can also be hot and sweaty work, but the rewards are very tasty! It's time to have a family meeting to decide what to plant in your veggie garden! This can be a fun time for parent's and  also a good way to get your kids to try out new veggies. Do your kids like to play in dirt?  What kid doesn't like to get dirty!  Kids will love to be able to plant a seed and watch it sprout up.  What  supplies do you need to start your family garden? You should be able to find all that you are looking for at any Walmart, Lowes or Home Depot. Just remember to start small, this way parents and kids don't get overwhelmed before you even dig that first  hole! Also you don't have to go crazy and think you need all types of garden tools! A hoe, seeds and plenty of water is great for starters! First of all you will need a spot for your garden. Be sure the water faucet is near by so you will be able to keep it watered. You will ...

 Spring time is finally here and one of my favorite ways to relax is to make a pot of tea with mint, add some lemonade and read cook books! It's relaxing and you never know what recipe you may find you have being dying to make! Today I was thumbing through a new cook book, I had picked up on the clearance shelf at Books a Million and found a great article on herbs!  Bee Stings:  you can ease the pain and swelling by rubbing it with crushed leaves of comfrey or basil! (Be sure to remove the bee stinger first). Naural Mouthwash:  Steep 3 cups of boiling water with 1 tablespoon of anise seed, dried peppermint, and rosemary for 15 minutes. (Double if your using fresh herbs), Strain, cool and refrigerate to use as needed. This is only to freshen your mouth not to be swallow! Hair Rinse:  Blonds and brunette use a calendula rinse, this will bring out the highlights! A rosemary rinse for dark hair. Herbal Steam Facial:  Place a handful of peppermint leav...

  Pet Travel Tips-Meet Bella! It's fun traveling with your family, but sometimes the family member may be a furry, four legged kind. Bella Traveling with our fur kids doesn't have to be difficult or bothersome. Simply establishing some rules in the beginning can keep your trip from turning into a nightmare. Of course, if they are as cute, as Bella, who needs rules?  Bella doesn't think rules apply to her!  Quick tip, never and I mean never travel with a small dog with a "prima donna" attitude! 1. Prep your pet by taking them on short trips in the beginning to get them used to the idea of traveling. Short trips are also a good time to discover if your pet can ride without getting car sick or freaking out. Bella was riding just down the road for a test drive and hung her head out the window, then turned around to give me a sweet wink and threw up on me!  Just remember some dogs are just not trainable! 2. If your pet does pass the short trips and is able to now go wi...

I love to review toys, I guess I am just a kid at heart!  Recently I was given the opportunity to review three new toys!  The first one was geared towards football lovers. The All-Pro Passer Robotic Quarterback was a blast to  play! It has 9 different passes and can throw up to 25 feet. The set up was very easy and the directions  were easy to follow.  Parent's, I feel this toy was made for us! I know there are times when you are just too tired to throw that  football one more time and you arm is still recovering from the last time you had to throw a few foot balls  from last week, well you are going to love this toy, it will throw for you! This toy will help to improve  your child's catching skills and you can just set and watch from a chair near by, but its a fun game that can  involve the whole family! Thumbs up on this sports toy! The SPOTBOT Cybernetic Security Robot and the RoboEar will give you a nice start into the spy world!  Ro...

Christmas is a magical time of the year! Shopping is already in full swing and kids are adding every day to their ever growing list of must haves. Let me help ease your stress level by suggesting a few toys you  may want to add to your list for the kids or adults this year! Have you ever been to the Smithsonian Museum? It's the largest museum in the world, here you can learn and discover from the past, present and future!  Smithsonian offers all kinds of educational toys.  Let me tell you about the Smithsonian Wave Machine,  Smithsonian Prehistoric Sea Monster kit, Smithsonian Newton's Cradle Science Kit and Smithsonian  Motion Kit!  The good part is all toys can be found at your local Target! The Smithsonian Wave Machine will help you learn about the Physics of Wave motion in our oceans and  seas. It is a artificial tank of water that produces continuous waves that can be so relaxing! I found myself  just watching the waves and for a few minutes ...

Recently I had the opportunity to review a few really cool toys! The toy is called Wubble Rumblers! I am sure you are asking what type of a toy is this? Well, its a whack'em, smack'em, bop'em, chop'em toy your kids are going to love, they are made from a super soft, light weight material that's more elastic than your ordinary inflatables, which I feel makes them more durable. They come in several designs to choose from, such as the Wubble Rumbler Ninja, Wubble Rumbler Wrestler and Wubble Rumbler fist or chop!  They also come with a air pump to get you up and ready to play. Once they are blown up, they we will be about 3 ft tall! It took less than 5 minutes to pump them up. No other accessories needed! With no children near by to help with the review, my hubby and I became the toy testers! Each inflatable has a place in the middle where you can insert your hand once inflated. Your now ready for some bopping fun! We also reviewed a couple of "groovy" wubble ...

It's going to happen sooner than later, one day you will be minding your own business driving to work and out of no where someone accidently hits you from behind, or perhaps you were going to fast and wasn't paying attention and plowed into the side of a car.  It's about the worse feeling you can have, but it's happened, so be sure to know what you need to do next! Before you even get to the point of being involved in an car accident, be sure you have all necessary paper work in your car and a updated insurance card. 1. Take a deep breath and don't panic, take in account of your surroundings, check yourself or anyone else in the car to make sure immediate medical care is not needed.  2.  Seek medical treatment if someone appears to be hurt. 3. Call the police, you will need a police report in order to file your car insurance. 4. Be sure to contact your insurance company. 5.  Make sure you exchange insurance information and get names, addresses, ph...

Like it not, the weather in the south can change at moments notice. It's now May and today it's 78 degrees and the wind is cool for a nice spring day, but nights have been cooler down in the 50's! You may want to take the time to have your car serviced and then you can be ready at the moment's notice for a road trip with no worries! First get your car serviced Have your transmission, oil and brake fluid changed.  The winter can bring extreme temperatures and this can make your coolant system work overtime, so be sure to have the antifreeze, hoses and radiator checked. Don't forget to have your tires rotated and inspected. This can also help your fuel economy! Also have your windshield wipers replaced if they are 6 months are older. Update your First-aid kit I am sure you were reminded when you first started driving to be ready for anything when your on the road!   Always travel with jumper cables, a small shovel, kitty litter, or sand for traction. Be sure...

Playing arcade games was always a favorite thing to do when I was a kid, I could spend hours in the arcade room! Today you can play in the comfort of your own home! I don't know if this is dangerous or a good thing, but it sure makes me happy.  Projex projecting game arcade is a blast to play! It states its for ages 6+, but believe me all ages are going to love it! It comes with great directions, which makes assembly easy. The main thing I loved about this new game, is it's battery operated (3 AA), so you can play it anywhere outside or inside, or take to the neighbors, just as long as you have a light-colored blank wall you can project the images from. The batteries are not included.  It comes with 5 different games, 3 different targets to choose from and 3 different skill levels! You can play solo, with two players or take turns and your whole family can play!  Your going to love the images, UFO, Target or Ducks!  All games have...

It's hard to believe we are about to celebrate Valentine's day, read below for some freebies and discount meals and specials you can take advantage of  this Friday, February 14th! Be sure to check with your local restaurant to make sure they will be participating! Auntie Anne’s:  The shop will be offering  Valentine’s Day specials  throughout the entire holiday week. Plus, on Feb. 14, you’ll be able to take advantage of the buy-one-get-one heart-shaped pretzels Bertucci’s:  Reserve a  Valentine’s Day dinner for $35  and get a soup or salad, an entree and a dessert. To make a reservation,  go here. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse:  Receive  a $10 bonus card  when you make a $50 gift purchase for your Valentine. Offer is valid through Feb. 14. Bruegger’s:  The restaurant will be selling  heart-shaped bagels  in plain, cinnamon raisin and blueberry between Feb. 10 and Feb. 14. Buca di Beppo:  Enjoy a hea...

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