March, 2012

March 30, 2012 / 1 Comment

Friday’s Favorite Five: Eggs

I love eggs. I don’t think I have found a way to prepare eggs that I haven’t liked. With Easter just around the corner there is no lack of ideas of how to use eggs for decorating, eating, and crafting with them. Here are my favorite five I’ve found this week.

 

Naturally dye your Easter eggs

 

Mini Frittata

 

Egg in a Hole

 

Compound Words with Plastic Easter Eggs

 

Rubber Cement Dyed Eggs

 

 

I hope you have an Egg-stravagant day!

What super cool egg recipes or ideas do you have?

March 26, 2012 / 3 Comments

Monday Mommy Confession #35

As I was cooking beans for chili last week I was reminded how much I lacked kitchen finesse. I got the beans going and then went over to my grandma’s attached apartment to ask her a question. When I came back I found a lake of bean water on my stove top (thank goodness for that lip that goes all the way around. I swear they made them that way just for people like me). As I was sopping up the mess, I would guess 5 cups in all, I realized what a great mommy confession it would be.

It would be one thing if it happened once in a blue moon, but pretty much, accept for straight up water, I boil everything over. Pasta, beans, rice, oatmeal, you name it, I have boiled it over.

I make many things from scratch but I do not do it gracefully.

Unfortunately I didn’t have the brain power at the time to think about taking a picture (I was super sick). Next time I make a mess, which I’m sure will be soon, I will try and take a picture and share with you all, so you can feel better about yourselves!

What’s your big kitchen blunder that you seem to keep doing over and over again?

March 22, 2012 / 4 Comments

Friday’s Favorite Five: Easy Money Saving Tips That Won’t Pinch

Let your grass grow a little longer.


Here are five of my favorite ways to save money without making your life miserable.

 

  1. Turn the lights off when you are done in a room

    And the TV of when you’re done watching it, and the dvd player, the game system, stereo, computer (at least hibernate it)! They all suck energy. If you want to get real hard core you can unplug them. Electronics use electricity even when they are shut off so that they’re instantly able to turn on when you push a button, plus other features like showing the time, and that little light that shows you that it’s on.

     

  2. Turn the water off while you are brushing your teeth(Turn the flow down, while washing your hands)

    The average person bushes their teeth for 2-3 minutes. In those 2-3 minutes you just used upwards of 12 gallons of water! That’s just one person. Multiply that by the number of times you brush your teeth per day and the number of people in your house and that adds up fast.

    For more information about savings you can see just by turning off the water while brushing your teeth go here.

     

  3. Turn your Heat down 1 or 2 degrees in the winter and up in the summer

    For every degree you turn your heat down in the winter (or your a/c up in the summer) you save 3% on your bill, that’s huge!

     

  4. Use both side of the paper

    This isn’t just for kids. With the price of everything going up due to rising gas prices, paper is sure to become even pricier. I even use the back side of return envelopes from credit card offers for grocery or to do lists. Here is a link for a great idea to reuse paper

     

  5. Let your grass grow a little longer.

    This is first of all healthier for the grass, requiring less fertilizer and watering, but it is better for the environment allowing the grass to make the air cleaner. Not to mention the gas/electricity you won’t be using to mow your lawn.

     

    Tell us, what are some of your favorite money saving tips?

March 19, 2012 / Leave a Comment

The Many Flavors of Oatmeal

Oatmeal is such a cheap, versatile breakfast staple, but it often gets overlooked or made much more expensive by those boxes of little convenient packages. Sometimes it feels like the only way to get them to eat oatmeal is if it’s those doctored up, flavored packets filled with wannabe fruit.

Frustrated moms, let me give you hope. There is a way to give your children the full benefits of oatmeal and real fruit while saving money. It may take some time, but it is possible.

If your troop is revolting against Rolled Oat/Old Fashioned Oats (which holds the most nutrition) then you may need to ease them in gradually. Start with 3 parts instant oats, 1 part rolled oats. Gradually work your way to half and half all the way until your kids are doing only Rolled Oats.

A great way to make the oatmeal tastier and give them some extra fruit, here are some of the extras I add in:

Brown Sugar

Molasses

Honey

Raisin

Dried Cranberries (any dried fruit Really)

Strawberries (frozen or fresh)

Blueberries (frozen or fresh)

Diced apples or applesauce

Pecans

Cinnamon

 

I always use a generous serving of honey and a little brown sugar (for that darker flavor) and then whatever fruit I want to add.

If you combine these two tips you should have awesome success and your grocery budget will thank you!

 

What do you like in your oatmeal?

 

I’m linking The Homestead Barn Hop and Tasty Tuesday!

March 9, 2012 / Leave a Comment

Friday’s Favorite Five: Baby Items I Love

Obviously with the countdown to babies arrival growing closer, I have everything baby on the brain. Here are five things that make my life with babies much easier.

 

  1. Bum Genius Diapers

    I knew from the beginning that I wanted to use cloth diapers. When I got ready to look into them I had no idea how much easier they had become. I still had memories of babysitting and being terrified I would stab a baby (or myself) with the safety pin. Gone are those days my friend. I decided on bum Genius all in one diapers. I got the 2.0 since that was the newest available, but if you are looking at getting them I would get the 3.0. The difference is Velcro tabs with the 2.0 vs. snap tabs with the 3.0. When you’ve washed for a while the Velcro doesn’t stay attached to the strips of female Velcro sewn in for washing purposes, which can leave you with quite a long diaper chain when you are done washing and drying. Plus, when your kiddos get older the Velcro is quite easy and fun for them to unfasten. If I end up replacing of the first set of diapers I purchased I will definitely be getting the 3.0.

     

  2. Moby Wrap

    I have two of them, one we bought and one that was given to us. It’s so great to have baby right there, safe and secure next to me.

     

  3. Arbonne Baby Care Line

    I’ll say upfront that I’m an Arbonne consultant, but this is not a sales pitch. My girls have super sensitive skin, and since Arbonne’s line is fragrance free, dye free, and naturally tear free (no numbing agents) I feel at peace knowing there is nothing in there that will irritate their skin. Plus it works.

     

  4. Bumbo

    I didn’t have one of these with Emma and I wish I had. It’s especially nice when you have older children. You can sit baby in there and the older siblings can easily play with them safely.

     

  5. Sleeper Sacks

    Sleeper sacks keep baby nice and warm while providing easy access for diaper changing. Plus they’re just so darn cute in them!

     

    What are your must have baby items?

March 8, 2012 / Leave a Comment

Love

March 2, 2012 / Leave a Comment

Friday’s Favorite Five: Things I Love About Sammie


 

I love her button nose.

 

Yesterday was Samantha’s Second birthday. It feels like only yesterday she was that tiny bundle (pictured above) I took home from the hospital. From day one she has been my snuggler and I have loved every minute of it! She is growing up so fast and becoming more beautiful, sweet, and creative every day. Here are five things from my long list of favorite things about here.

1. Her smile

This is so Sammie right now. Hands in her pockets, big smile, and some sort of headband on. So Cute!

It lights up a room and melts your heart in an instant. It’s so big that it’s sometimes hard for this momma to say no.

2. Her laugh

This girl LOVES to laugh, and when you get her going into her belly laugh, well, it makes you laugh uncontrollably as will!

3. Her dancing.

The girl doesn’t even need music to be playing to bust a move (she just like her mommy that way)

4. The way she plays pretend

She has such an imagination. She plays mommy with her baby, she grabs a bag and pretends to be leaving to go shopping, she makes meals and pushes her little grocery cart around with food in it.

5. Her determination

 

She decided that she wanted to ride the trike in the snow. Needless to say it didn't work so well.

 

Another word for that would be stubbornness, but I’m choosing to look at the positive side of things. She is determined to figure things out or try it on her own before she asks for help. Part of this comes from trying to be like big sister, but often times she will try something before Emma will. She is quite the dare devil.