Wednesday, April 30, 2008

FAQ For Amy

Q: I want to start a blog or find a work-at-home job, but I don't know how. How can I start learning about blogging and working from home?

A: I have a post here that addresses the questions on working from home. I also posted awhile back on how to gain a readership, and how to track that traffic. I hope these help!


Q:
Will you be discussing the economy slump?

A: I will be honest and say that I am not what I would consider a personal finance blogger. I write about frugal measures that our family takes, but am not as educated on specific topics of personal finance. I will continue to share how we save money, address the personal finance issues I feel confident on addressing, and will try to lead by example through my blog. I am more of a tightwad blogger than a personal finance blogger. What I learn though, I always will share- I promise! I am working on some new material to add to address these issues and am researching blog ideas to share more on this topic though, but it might be a bit on the "light" side for the hardcore PF bloggers.

Q: Can I add you to my blogroll? How do I get added to yours?

Absolutely, we love being added to blogrolls. In fact, I will say that this is one of the easiest ways to find great blogs for me to read is through your referral links. I periodically check referral links and try to send a thank you for referencing my posts. One of the ways we thank people back is by featuring them here through the notebook entries and I try to reciprocate as much as I can through a blog entry format. Another way to get on our site is to join the Frugal Hacks network and then you are automatically added to the blogroll through my handy Frugal Hacks button that you will see to the side.


Q:
Are you going to do the spring cleaning series anymore?

A: I actually got really overwhelmed with it and now that it is nice out, I haven't been spending a lot of time indoors. I hope to do more printables in the future, but I have been trying to still devote one hour weekly towards working on some little tasks to tidy the home. I can start posting those in the interim and share what I am working on, but the printables might be on hold until the nice weather is over. My kids want to play outside and I love to be outside with them. With all of the regular writing engagements I have, I am struggling with some of the necessary work for my site. I promise to continue to inspire you in your home though and hope to always have new ideas and recipes to share to get things tidy.

Q: Are you going to do more Aldi menu planners?

A:
I hope to put more of these together in the future. Frankly, we ran out of recipes and so I have been taking a little break. I still try to do a new recipe each week, but we eat some of the same things each week too. If I build up enough new recipes to do another planner, I promise to do my best to put another one together. In the meantime, Aldi has their own recipes now and you can put together menus from their very own site. They are not Amy-tested and kid-approved recipes, but it is a great start towards adding some variety in your mealtime.

Q: I have an Aldi complaint. Can I just send it to you to forward my feedback on to the company?

A: Um, no. Please don't send me your Aldi complaints. I don't work for Aldi and, as of yet, have not gotten a paycheck from them for all my lovely product endorsing. I don't have a contact there for you so you will have to take your product in to your local store and request a refund there.

Q: What kind of camera do you use and are you happy with your new camera?

A:
I bought my camera after I had asked our reader's opinions on the cameras that they use and the success they had with them. The camera I use is a Canon PowerShot S5. I would have loved to have gotten a Rebel, but the practical side of me won out and I am so glad I got this one. It is FABULOUS and I couldn't be any happier. I have been having so much fun playing around with it and it has made my blogging a ton easier. My other camera needed a steady hand all of the time and I seem to have a shaky hand so this has been a wonderful investment for me. No more missed photo opportunities of my children. I paid roughly $320 for this camera and it has been worth every penny.

Q: I emailed you and you never wrote me back? Why?

A: I apologize if you have emailed me and I haven't responded. I receive anywhere between sixty to a hundred messages each day. I try to respond to as many as I can, but please know that I read ALL of your messages and have appreciated everything you guys send. I love each of you and appreciate your thoughtfulness!!

Sound Off: Have a question for me- here is your opportunity! I will answer any question you have- personal, cleaning questions, homemaking questions, money questions, stuff about your kids... whatever!

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You Knew It Was Coming....Exercise & You

Oh, you just knew that this chapter was upon us after our frank discussion about self-care. I just want you to know that I am not just being Miss Preachy and I promise you that I am making serious changes with the help of this book. The changes I am seeing in myself are making me a much happier mommy.

Here are some things I have been working towards:

1. In the evenings, I am doing something quiet like knitting, reading, or spending time with my husband. I am trying to slow down in the evenings instead of running around for no reason. The same is applying to our daytime routine as well. I am trying to focus on the kids doing more stuff at home with me and less running around. Less running around= less money spent!
2. I replaced some things that needed replacing. Without going into details, I recruited my best girlfriend to go shopping with me and I finally forked over the money and threw out items that needed replacing. It was huge- like, a HUGE deal.
3. I made appointments and kept them. I visited my chiropractor, got my medical massage, kept a follow-up exam with my doctor, and went to my annual. I should be just about perfect after all of that.
4. I am purging a ton of stuff out of our house- three carloads so far! This stuff has been weighing me down and needed to go. It is mostly clothing, but I have been adding items little by little, as I see it, to the trunk and then taking a load over to the Goodwill each day. This is so good for my emotional well-being and it is creating more space in our home too!

Today we are going to talk about exercise or the lack of exercise in our lives. Since I have had Emily, I have not been exercising, and I can give you excuse after excuse for why I have not been engaging in regular exercise. It usually starts with, "I am so busy..." I am petite and people can't necessarily tell that I don't exercise regularly, but I am sluggish by midday and my body isn't toned anymore. I have back problems and regular exercise would really benefit this, but I always have an excuse for why I can't do it. Really, there are a hundred reasons why I SHOULD exercise and a hundred reasons why I DON'T exercise.

In the book, "How Did I Get So Busy?" the author offers these suggestions for making exercise a regular routine in your life.

1. Give yourself a range of success. Just as the author recommended in the self-care chapter, she reminds us that we don't have to do everything perfect. Make a goal, but don't beat yourself up if your goal was six days of exercise and you only managed three. Make three days a minimum goal for yourself and do the best you can and make it something that works for you.

2. Make it quick and convenient. Try aiming for just thirty minute sessions and do what fits best with your schedule. If going to the gym doesn't work for you right now, stick to a workout DVD. If you can't manage either, try a brisk walk around your neighborhood. Whatever you do, make it something that is easily doable and can be done in a short period of time.

3. Multi-task when you exercise. No, the author isn't suggesting we do our bills, but to use this time to meditate or listen to music to make the experience more enjoyable.

4. Take a class, form a group, or get a trainer. If you liked the idea of setting up appointments for self-care, this might be a great idea for you. She suggests making an appointment with a workout buddy or friend to help keep you motivated. Your workout buddy could even by your child, spouse, or another family member- whatever will help too keep you motivated.

5. Make a plan you'll actually follow. Start small, build your confidence, and be consistent.

6. If you fail, try again. She quotes Winston Churchill who said, "Success is the ability to move from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." Don't beat yourself up, but be honest with yourself. Keep trying and don't give up.

7. Start your day with exercise. Stop trying to squeeze it in when you have a full schedule and make it your routine when you wake up. Before you go to bed, put your workout clothes, shoes, and a bottle of water right next to the alarm clock. When you wake up, slip on your workout gear and head out the door for a brisk walk, pop in your favorite workout tape, or find an open area in your house to do a few sets of your favorite exercise. Use this time as your planning time, quiet time, or "me" time and enjoy energy all day long.

Sound Off: Do you make exercise a priority in your life? How have you worked this into your schedule?

Follow-Up Sound Off: Did you do something to care for yourself this week? Report back and let me know if our discussion helped you at all!

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Mommy Interview: Kathy Kaehler

The Hanes team contacted us to see if we would be interested in interviewing some of their moms from their spokesperson team. They have created a fun resource for parents and picked some amazing parents to represent their brand.

Kathy Kaehler, mom, celebrity trainer, author and spokesperson has devoted her life to helping people live happy, productive and healthy lives. Beyond imparting the latest in fitness workouts, this lifestyle expert has tackled such subjects as multi-tasking, stress management, nutrition, how to get a good night’s sleep and how to get kids of the couch and onto their feet.

As a mother of eleven year old twins and a seven year old (all boys!), Kaehler is committed to keeping her kids and all children fit. Kathy shares a few tips for how to get our kids off of the couch... and ourselves!


We are all trying to raise healthy children, but it is evident that we are falling short when it comes to exercise. How much physical activity should our children be getting each day?


I think our kids need to be doing something physical everyday for 30-60 minutes a day. It does not have to be all at once but if you break up that time into ten minute romps it really adds up. Kids don’t mind exercise as long as it’s fun! Don’t just sign your kid up for a class or a sport – find out what they really enjoy. It’s important to keep in mind that fitness isn’t always what we think of in the traditional sense – Frisbee, mini golf, bowling – these are all ways to get different parts of your kids’ bodies moving! You can find some of my ideas on hanes.com/kids of fun activities you can do with your kids, such as going for an adventure hike in the backyard or at the local park (don’t forget to pack healthy snacks and water); throwing a ball or water balloons at a target; creating a music mix for a dance party. Play with your kids and show them how fun it is to be active!

For families that suffer through long winters or are not able to get outside as often, what are some fun indoor activities that you can do with your children?

There are many things that you can do inside while the weather is cold, but don't forget kids love to get out and play in snow and rain. Just make sure they are bundled up. For indoor fun try family challenges like one minute of jumping jacks, walking up and down the stairs, try to see many rooms can you walk in and out of in one minute, etc. “Balloon Flight” is a great game that I get my kids to play. Blow up a med size balloon and the object is to not let the balloon touch the ground and you can't touch the balloon twice in a row. Lots of laughter and action with this one! Create a whole schedule of activities around the house and you and the kids will be surprised how fast time will fly by.


At what age should you begin exercising with your child?

The most important thing to remember is that we parents are the best role models at creating an active environment for our kids and this can never start too early. I showed my kids how to start using their muscles as soon as they started to walk. Even in the stroller you can begin to tell them that you are exercising and that they are helping you. I also began asking my boys at an early age what they did that day that helped their bodies – whether it was eating their vegetables, walking the dog, etc. The kids would think about it all day and couldn’t wait to tell me (and show up their brothers) later that night. I found that this type of thinking helped create a foundation for an active lifestyle that will hopefully stay with them for years to come.

With video games and television taking our children away from healthy activity, what are some ways that parents can make exercise as appealing to them as these things seem to be?

First off, make sure your kids are comfortable when they’re out and about! My guys will only wear tagless tees from Hanes – they can’t stand the itching and chafing from tags when they’re running around – and they practically live in Hanes’ super soft hoodies. If your kids are in comfortable gear, they'll play longer. If they’re not, they’ll just come right back and plop on the comfy couch.

Encourage your kids to be happy and have fun. As I mentioned before, kids don’t mind exercise as long as they’re having a good time. Instead of forcing a sport or activity on your child, take the time to figure out what he or she enjoys doing. This can be bowling, ultimate Frisbee, jazz class or in the more traditional sense, soccer, tennis, lacrosse. If kids start off with a positive attitude towards their chosen form of exercise, there is a better chance they’ll stick with it.

If you can't win over the video games, and chances are you will lose this battle at some point, at least make them play active ones. They really can be a workout!

Last resort: you can also bribe. I know how that sounds, but in my house, and probably in most houses, we have to compromise and some things are trade offs. It’s reality that kids want to play video games and watch TV. If the kids say they have to play a game or have to watch this show, then they have to go out on the trampoline and jump so many times beforehand.


As busy moms, how can we make exercise a priority in our schedule? How often should we be exercising?

We need to be exercising most days of the week. In order to be on top of everything going on in the house, you have to feel good about yourself and the best way to do that is to get in a workout. You will be a happier mom, more organized and have the energy to do it all. This doesn’t mean you need to be at the gym every day of the week. You can take a class, and you can also take dog to the park or go on a walk with your girlfriends. I also suggest my “Take Five” workout. Every morning and every night take just five minutes to do some jumping jacks, squats and/or side-to-side hops. These five minute blasts will get your heart rate and energy level up and it’s only ten minutes a day!

What can moms do when they get stuck in an exercising rut?

My advice is to sit down to think about new goals and map out your plan of attack. Remember to be realistic in what your schedule and body can take when creating these new goals. I also suggest getting your mom, or friends or co-worker on board to help you stay motivated and explore different ways to stay in shape – whether it’s a walk for a charity one weekend, training for a mini marathon, going on a bike ride or taking some tennis lessons. Mixing it up and changing your surroundings when working out will keep you from getting bored or stuck.

Sound Off: Do you engage in exercise regularly? How do you make this a priority for your children?

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Rainy Days, Bloom Swap, Contests, Updates, & More Randomness

Sorry for a post full of randomness, but I wanted to update everyone on stuff that is going on this week!!


WSBT-


Yesterday I went to the WSBT studio to discuss how to put together a rainy day survival kit for your kids. This goes along with my little tutorial on making a rainy day suitcase for your family. My husband said this is the best one I have ever done? I think it came off that way because I was feeling a little more sassy...or maybe because I had to be there by 6:20 in the morning and wasn't fully awake. I hope you guys enjoy it. I am pretty proud of our little suitcase so it was fun to get to show it off.

Nephew Update-

My nephew is doing so well that they are moving him out of ICU this morning. The skin looks great and it even has color to it- a great indication that the blood supply is doing what it is supposed to. My sister is a nurse so she can explain it a little more technically than I can, but it all sounds so positive. Thank you all for your sweet prayers and messages!

Lands' End Contest-

I am really trying hard to share everything I can with all of our readers and today we have a Mother's Day contest posted with Lands' End. We will be offering one winner a $100 gift card to Lands' End to make her own custom-fit swimsuit! I am so excited that we can offer this and I hope you will head over there to check out all of the contest details.

Bloom Swap-

I got to participate in another swap hosted by Monica & Carrie... two of my most favorite blogging friends in the world! Above is all of the loveliness that my swap partner, Angela from Life with one busy boy, sent to me. Her box was so beautiful and full of spring for me. My favorite item was a pair of pink gardening gloves- perfect for this girly-girl in the garden. I loved my box so much that I missed the photo opportunity and just dug right in. I had to sheepishly email Angela and ask if I could borrow her pictures. What a nice swap partner she was to share them with me!

I skipped the box in favor of my favorite reusable bag from Target. I filled hers with lots of flowery goodness and fun spring accessories for her garden. A fresh pair of garden gloves, flowery cards and pads of paper to put by her phone, and some bulbs to plant in her garden!

Thank you to my swap partner and the swap sisters for making this possible!

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Update on My Nephew

I just got off the phone with my mom and Austin is in ICU. His surgery lasted over eight hours yesterday so he was under for a lot longer than they had expected. They are waiting to see if the blood will start flowing and if the blood vessels will attach and begin working before we can be sure that the surgery was a success. He has been sick from being under for that length of time and we are just thankful that he got through it. Please continue to pray that this surgery will be a success for him and for his family.

Thank you all for being so sweet and praying for him. I know that their family really appreciates it and needs your support!

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$10 Tripod

Editor's Note: SORRY! This offer has expired!

I have been wanting to get a tripod for my camera, and told my husband to be on the lookout for any good deals. He happened upon this tripod, normally priced at $49.99, now marked at $10.00.

If you have not signed up for Google Checkout yet, you can get a $10.00 credit, making this free (only had to pay for shipping which was $7.09). Look for the Google Checkout button below to process through this. You do have to pay shipping through this option, but it is less than the $10 you would have had to pay for the tripod itself.

Just thought I would post, in case anyone else was looking for a tripod!

Note from a Reader: If you switch the shipping time frame you can get it for FREE!!! I just ordered mine with shipping in 7-9 days. Thanks for sharing this!

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Another Season of Gift Giving

It seems that the summer is our crazy season for gift-giving. Between high school graduations, weddings, new babies, and the regular birthdays, we can spend a lot of money on our gifts.

I am sure I am not alone so I wanted to share some links to frugal ideas for buying and wrapping your gifts this year!

Gift Giving:

Elegant Photo Albums- Would make an excellent Mother's Day gift!
Bubbly Magnets- A great addition to a college student's gift or Mother's Day gift!
Sugar & Spice Nuts- Would make a fabulous Father's Day gift
A His & Hers Gift to Remember
Frugal Wedding Gifts
Housewarming Gift Ideas
How to Make a Diaper Cake
Thrifty Graduation Gifts
Frugal Graduation Gifts
Painted Mugs- Great for Mother's Day, Father's Day, or for a special babysitter who might be off to college
Restaurant.com Gift Certificates- Great for any occasion
Give the Gift of Magazines Frugally
Starbucks Banana Pound Cake- Paired with a pound of coffee, it would make a lovely gift for Father's Day


Gift Wraping:

Gift Wrapping Made Easy
Be a Wrap Superstar: Use What You Have
Be a Wrap Superstar: Tailor Your Gift
Be a Wrap Superstar: Wallpaper That Gift
Simplifying Gift Giving
Introducing You to the Gift Closet

Sound Off:
Do you have a favorite baby, housewarming, wedding, or graduation gift that is always a hit?

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Water & Chalk

Two old margarine tubs filled with water and one package of paint brushes from the dollar store.

Mommy's yoga mat becomes a soft cushion for the kids to rest their bottoms on while playing on the pavement. Don't forget the sidewalk chalk so they can make even more cool pavement creations!

Ethan paints a rainbow with water and Emily just loves to paint around herself.

Emily's painting usually ends up looking like this.

Ethan layers chalk and water to make beautiful hearts for mommy.

Then we make our own little hopscotch game, but that is too boring for a boy.

Ethan calls this, "EXTREME hopscotch." He even says the word EXTREME in an EXTREME way. The rules are, you jump on number one and then hop 40,000 steps to get to number two and then you have to hop 40,000 more steps to get to the third number. These went all the way down our driveway to the very end. He wanted me to jump it, but that sounded too extreme for mommy, but perfect for an energetic little boy.

Water and chalk provide hours of enjoyment on sunny days. This is how a frugal family spends their day together and I wouldn't have it any other way!

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Monday, April 28, 2008

Prayers for Austin

Today is a hard day for our family and I am just asking you to lift my six year-old nephew up in your prayers this week. Austin is undergoing a very intense surgery today, where they will be grafting new skin for his leg to replace the nevus that is currently there. He will be in surgery for six hours today and then will be in ICU for seven to ten days. It is hard, as an aunt, to know what he is going through right now and I sit here feeling helpless waiting for any snippets from my sister about how it is going.

We sent Austin off with a little treat- a double batch of blueberry muffins for everyone to snack on while they were waiting. I am becoming a pro at "hospital hospitality" as, I believe, we are on our eighth surgery for Austin and I try to make a little something for them each time they go. It isn't much, but these are the only things I feel like I can do right now.

Ethan is so worried about his best friend and cousin, so we decided to send pictures that Austin could open each day that he is at the hospital. My sister said she had to hide them because Austin was so excited to see what Ethan had made for him. Ethan said he made things that he thought Austin would think were "super cool" to cheer him up. We numbered them for each day he would be away from us and promised a sleepover at our house when he got better.

Please pray for a swift recovery and bless the surgeons with the skills that are needed to complete the task.

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Knit for a Cause

I am so enjoying learning how to knit and it has been a wonderful outlet for me in the evenings. I have been practicing and learning each day. Progressively, I am getting a little better, but I am no speed demon and certainly am still in the learning stages.

My mother-in-law gave me a big stack of knitting magazines to help inspire me and my knitting projects. As I was flipping through them, I noticed all of the great charities that were listed that take knitting donations. I had not thought of how learning this skill could benefit others, but now I am thinking about this hobby in a new way. If I can learn how to knit, I can benefit someone else.

Our church has a knitting club and I am a little too embarrassed to go at such an early stage, but it might benefit me to sit with some experienced knitters and let them teach me a thing or two. I have also been calling my poor mother-in-law often to brag about figuring out how to purl, how to cast off, and my daily progression on my scarf. She is so sweet to talk to me and encourage me that I am doing well or just to offer moral support when it takes simple things, like learning to purl, an entire day. Talk about slow!

I wanted to provide some links to organizations that take knitting donations. Please list any organizations that you have worked with/for and if you have had any experience knitting for charity.

These lists provide some added motivation for learning this new skill- what a gift it would be to share my handmade efforts with others.

Cubs for Kids

Interweave Knits Charity Knitting List

The Duulan Project

Newborns in Need

Threads of Love - find a chapter in your area!

SusanB's Charity Page

Headhuggers Chemo Hats

Bev's Afghanistan Project Page

"Ray of Hope" UK Charity Knitting

Special Knitting Forces

Stitches from the Heart

Project Linus Baby Blankets

The Daily Knitter Charity Knitting

Red Scarf Project - Norma Knits Blog with info

Guideposts Sweater Project

Afghans for Afghans

Knitting for Veterans

Warm Woolies - Knitting for Orphans and Poverty Stricken Children

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Redbox Code 04.28.08

Today's free code for a Redbox movie is R7234H. This code is good for one free movie and you can use it until midnight tonight. Enjoy a free family movie together!

Side Notes:

- If you want to rent more than one movie for free, bring more than one credit/debit card. You can use the same promotional code, you just will need different cards to charge it to. The charge will be zero as long as you return your movie on time for the next day.

- When entering in your free movie code, you need to enter it FIRST before picking the movie. On the very first screen, click the, "Rent with Promo." Enter in the above code and then make your selection- the amount should then total zero.

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Retro Housewife Bunco

This month, I got to host our Bunco group, and I was so excited about my retro housewife theme. The best part about this theme was that I could display my apron collection and I could make all my friends wear aprons too.

The downfall with entertaining is that my home is a smaller space. It just means that I have to be a little more purposeful with clearing the home of clutter and finding more inventive ways to display and share all of our good food, but I did my best.

I cleared all of the shoes and coats from our entryway and replaced them with a handful of my favorite aprons from my collection. A couple of the girls said that they didn't have an apron (I know, *gasp*) so I thought they could borrow one of mine from one of our hooks when they walked in. It also helped to tie in the theme!
I love to look for benches for my house because it makes great instant seating in any room. Even an old and ugly bench can be recovered and made to look more modern with a new fabric or coat of paint. I pulled my benches into a seating arrangement that I thought would make it easy for groups to sit together and would make it easier for people to chat. These are also narrow enough that they make good seating for homes with smaller spaces.

We had a delicious retro supper prepared. I made my favorite Sloppy Joe recipe and I got mini-kaiser rolls to make it easier to eat while we played. These were served with tater tots and Rice Krispie treats for dessert. I could prepare everything ahead of time and just had to throw the tater tots in the oven before everyone arrived. I planned to serve slushies, but everyone brought a beverage to share instead so this made it easier for me.

I love to serve our food on cake stands and the covered ones are great for keeping bread from drying out and they help to create a display. If you are short on space, elevating the food can make more room for lower dishes to rest. If you don't have cake stands, you can use an inverted bowl and rest a plate on top to create a cute cake stand. Hunt at the thrift stores and you can find elegant china plates and cups or bowls to create cute little cake stands.

Coolers can get in the way when you are trying to entertain and can be difficult to hunt for just the right drink. I plugged one side of our double sink and filled it with ice. I tucked the drinks inside of there and then took a ribbon and looped a bottle opener through the ribbon and around the spout. It made it much easier to drain (just have to unplug the sink) and it also saved on space in my fridge and freezer.

What retro housewife would ever serve her guests dinner on paper plates? We kept our party green and wallet-friendly by using cloth napkins and my favorite white dishes to serve on. I had seven guests so it only equaled one fast load of dishes and everything was cleaned.

Isn't this scorekeeper so handsome? Ethan got home from grandma and grandpa's and was immediately intrigued by what all these crazy women were doing. He was so good to help keep score and even got to throw dice a few times with us.


Thank you to all my Bunco Babes who allowed me to live out one of my little fantasies. It was so fun to have a retro night with all of you!

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Sunday, April 27, 2008

What Would You Buy?: An Ultimate Work Wardrobe

Amy,

I recently discovered your website and have really enjoyed it! I am also an Aldi fan and am trying hard to live within my means. I have a problem I was hoping you could help me with. I am returning to work very soon and after years as a stay-at-home Mom, suddenly find myself without any decent clothes to wear to a job. Faded blue jeans and old t-shirts have worked okay at home but they aren't work-appropriate!

Whenever you post a picture on your site you always look so pulled-together. Can you help? I am going to be working in a business casual environment - even a well-fitting pair of boot-cut dark wash blue jeans would probably work on Fridays. Other than that - where do I start? I have about $250-$300 to put towards new clothes. Any suggestions??? Maybe even some websites that could help?

Congratulations on paying off your debt and cutting up those cards!!! Your party must have been so much fun!

Thanks,
L.

Well, it has been about four years since I have been out in the trenches of the working world, but I will do my best to answer this question. If you are a working woman of the world and have had good success shopping anywhere, please let our sweet reader know so she can do some hunting.

Since this is an office-casual environment, I think it will be a lot easier to tackle than the more formal office wear. Here are some of my suggestions for a great work wardrobe.

Bottoms-

Apostrophe Essential Pant- I have actually worn these and they are an amazing fit! They are a lightweight material that doesn't attract pet hair or look wrinkly after being worn all day. They also look seamless, with no distracting pockets or details that seem to draw your eye towards the problem areas. The material is lightweight and these could be worn through all of the seasons. They have these in black & gray- both are great choices for work. I just really love these pants and they are a steal at only $24.98 each!

Tops-

apt. 9 Herringbone Blazer- This blazer is great for summer and you could transition it into the fall with the addition of a long sleeve t-shirt. This would look great with a pair of black slacks and a cute camisole or even could be paired with a pair of jeans and ballet flats to dress it down. I wear this style of blazer a lot and I just love how versatile it is! They have a similar style available in black as well (which could pair nicely with a gray pair of trousers or jeans) Currently on sale for $29.99.

Xhiliration Dolman Sleeve Top- This would be a great addition to a work wardrobe too. I love the style of this top because the sleeves make it dressy enough for work or you could wear this on the weekend with a pair of cute sneakers. I love the Kelly Green & the Black for basic pieces.

These are just a few examples of great items that would work. For a starter work wardrobe, I would recommend:

1. Two or three basic pairs of flat-front trousers (black, gray, khaki)
2. Two or three camisoles for layering (white, off-white, and black- Target offers these at affordable prices in the lingerie section of the store)
3. A short sleeve blazer (could be a basic color or a fun print that would work with neutrals)
4. Two or three long-sleeve or short-sleeve basic shirts for layering (I love the Old Navy or Mossimo brand for these) that could be layered under blouses and jackets. Pick your sleeve length based on the season.
5. One or two blouses (You could keep these basic in black, white, or pink and use hair and jewelry accessories to switch these up or you could go with fun prints and and use a basic black blazer to tone down for a different look. Look for the cap-sleeved shirts, as they are popular right now and make a blouse look a little more girly)
6. One pair of dark-wash jean,for the office casual environment. I love jeans from The Limited, Old Navy, or Gap.
7. A pair of basic black ballet flats, black heels (to dress up your jeans), and one pair of fun shoes (fun print or an unexpected color)
8. A nice neutral handbag

When I was trying to help my husband with his work wardrobe, I would actually look in his closet and piece together things that he didn't put together. This can be fun to do with your spouse, if they have an eye for what looks good, or a good friend. Invite someone into your closet and have them look at what you have and your new pieces and have them come up with ideas for things that could work together too. Sometimes it takes a new pair of eyes to see all of the possibilities

Finally, if you are really short on cash, ask if you can raid your friend's closets to help you until you get those first couple of paychecks. My best friend and I exchange clothes often for special events and occasions and it has saved me more money than I can begin to tell you. My wardrobe has great pieces and her wardrobe has great pieces. Together, we create an ultimate wardrobe that makes life events like these a little easier.

Sound Off: What are some places that you would recommend shopping for a work wardrobe? Are there any basic pieces that you would add to my list?

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Saturday, April 26, 2008

Deal Alert- Vitamin Shoppe & Starbucks

I had to run over to the Vitamin Shoppe today to restock up on my vitamins. As I have discussed before, I made the decision to switch to herbal supplements versus my prescription drugs to help with some of my health issues, and I am having great success with it. I do try to buy good quality vitamins though and have found that the the store brand from the Vitamin Shoppe really has worked well for my needs. I had run out of the vitamins I took so I headed over there to stock up. Lucky me, they are running their semi-annual sale on their store brand vitamins. There are four days left to stock up. It is a buy one get one 50% off deal and they have a huge selection to choose from. I just thought I would share in case anyone else takes a lot of supplements- it is an excellent deal for the money. I might go back to get more and take advantage of their promotion. Online orders have free shipping if you spend $99 or more. I don't get a cut, I promise, just wanted to help out some other families!

Another thing that I noticed today, as I was getting our Starbucks card ordered for our winner, is that Starbucks is offering new features for registered gift card users. When you use a registered card you can now- get free milk or syrup options, brewed coffee refills at no charge, and they will give you a free tall coffee beverage with the purchase of a bag of their whole bean coffee. If you have a card, somewhere deep in that wallet, it might be worth your time to register it to take advantage of some member perks. I was not aware that they were offering these things so I wanted to share!

Now no mommies on here can complain about lack of energy with coffee perks and vitamin deals- you will have all the energy you need...maybe just for today.

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Winner of the Starbucks Gift Card

Thanks to everyone who entered and shared their money woes. It seems we all deal with the same issues- building a savings, grocery shopping, unexpected expenses, and impulse shopping. It gave me some ideas for some things that I could tackle on here so I really appreciate it.

I would like to congratulate our winner (drawn at random) on winning a $25 gift card to Starbucks. Our winner is....entry#3- Jenny M. in AL. She said her money dilemma is, "My biggest issue is buying for the house. We just built a new house and I want it to be completely decorated now, but I need to just take my time and buy a piece here and there after I've set the money aside."

Thanks again to all of our entries and be sure to check out the other winners from the contest!

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Friday, April 25, 2008

My Ultimate Downfall: Self-Care

Here are some things I need to admit before I begin discussing self-care:

1. I do not keep my appointments when it comes to my own health care- doctor visits, the hairdresser, annual visits, dentist visits, chiropractor care, or vision exams. This has usually been because I don't want to take both my children to these visits or because I feel like these appointments can wait. It is rare though that I ever reschedule anything for my children. For myself, it is a regular occurrence.

2. I do not regularly engage in things that are just for me other than social commitments. I struggle with making time to do hobbies I enjoy, doing any regular reading, or indulging in time for quiet reflection for myself.

3. I am pretty good about buying clothes for myself, but I struggle with feeling worthy enough to spend money on myself. This is because I feel that oftentimes the money is better allocated to my children, our house, my spouse, or food. It has gotten to the point that items for myself that have needed replacing seem like "spending urges" rather than the simple fact that sometimes I actually have a need to replace it.

4. At times I feel that engaging in self-care and doing things for myself is selfish and indulgent.

Now do you want to take advice from someone like me? As I have plowed my way through the chapters in our book for discussion ("How Did I Get So Busy," By Valorie Burton), I had to pause for a moment as I approached the chapters on self-care. In some ways, I feel like I do really well. I do things often with my mom's group and I try to make time with my closest friends and sister, but these times are often filled with busyness and chasing after kids. While sometimes, during these visits, I get a break, I am not doing things to care for myself during these times. I realize that this is something I really and truly need to work on.

Valorie offers these tips for shifting to a self-care lifestyle:

1. Make a decision to change your life. This is the first time in any life-changing process and she encourages you to want to make that change.

2. Clarify what is no longer acceptable. Shifting from a life of self-care might mean shifting away from a life of busyness. Make a list of what is unacceptable to you in your current lifestyle and what must go in order for you to make the shift to this new life.

3. Clarify what makes you feel well cared for. What really makes you feel cared for? Is it being pampered, cared for, and nourished emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Write down what comes to mind.

4. Make self-care easy. The author suggests making self-care easy and scheduling it into your day just as you would anything else. Set up appointments on the same day of each week or each month so that you can incorporate it easily into your schedule. You could also make it easier by making items that help nourish you easier to access. For example, a foot soak is my favorite thing to do so grouping all of these items together in an accessible spot and scheduling it every Friday (which I used to do each Friday and then lapsed on because I was "too busy") would make it a scheduled and easy task for me to indulge in.

5. Practice until it becomes a way of life. Refuse to compromise on your self-care and practice, practice, practice doing it. It is okay if you don't do it perfectly, but make an effort to make self-care a priority in your life.

6. Notice how much easier it is to do what needs to be done when you live a self-care lifestyle. Incorporating self-care will help give you the energy and the foundation to better handle challenges that come your way. Self-care prevents those feelings of being burnt-out because you will now have a cushion to soften the blow.

The challenge with this lesson and chapter is to make a decision to adopt a self-care lifestyle. From this lifestyle, you will automatically eliminate a lifestyle of busyness.

My personal commitment:

1. I am going to schedule my chiropractor appointments regularly again and I am going to schedule and KEEP my dentist & eye exam appointments.

2. I am going to try to do (at least) one nice thing for myself each week- spending time reading, knitting, exercising, or something to pamper myself. It will not necessarily be things that I am spending money on, but it will be a special treat that I don't often engage in.

3. I will work harder on buying things for myself when I need them. If I hear of a person (like a someone-who-shall-remain-nameless type of person) who needs new underwear and she thinks it is a "silly expenditure," I will encourage her to go and spend some money on herself because that is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. And, yes, it has been that bad and that ridiculous for that person and shame on her.

4. I will not use my personal finances as an excuse to not take care of myself, unless that is really and truly true. We do have money for the things I need to care for myself and I will use those resources if they are needed. This doesn't mean going to a spa resort for a weekend, but it might mean getting my hair trimmed or having my teeth cleaned.

These might seem like minor commitments, but I want you to know that this is a huge commitment for me. I want to be strong in body and mind, but I can't be if I don't take care of myself. This might require me to work less on the site so that I can make time to make this a priority, but I also feel that if I had this time that I might have more energy and even more creativity to draw from.

Sound Off: It is safe to admit it, do you struggle with caring for yourself? What is one commitment you could make towards your self-care? What is one thing that you really miss doing for yourself since you became a mom?

(P.S.- It is not selfish, it is self-care and you deserve it!)

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Freebie Friday: April 25, 2008

A big thank you to Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, for helping contribute to this list of freebies. Heather has started a Coupons 4 Mom feature, where she now highlights some of the great coupons that are out there for you. Be sure to visit this list before your next shopping trip and check her site weekly for more great freebies and coupons!


Health & Beauty

Hugo Urban Rules (pick from him or her fragrances and send one to a friend)
Aquafresh Extreme Clean (Walmart sample)
Food

Entertainment

Elle Decor Magazine (offered by RewardsGold)

Home & Garden
Huggies GoodNites (Walmart sample)

Pet Care
Mark Your Calendars
April 30 - 31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin-Robbins to honor America's firefighters
May 15 - Free Iced Coffee at Dunkin Donuts 10am-10pm

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MomAdvice Weekly Recap 04.25.08

Featured Article:

Goodbye, Old Friend: Asking Jealousy to Leave-
I pull into the parking lot and park my beat-up car between a Hummer & a Mercedes. I let out a sigh and turn behind me to find him sitting in the backseat between my two children. “You can leave now. You aren’t wanted here,” I say. He looks back at me, absently, dismissing my request with a blank smile..... Continue Reading

Blog Entries for Fun & Discussion:

How Our Garden Grows -
Welcome to my little garden. After my earnest attempts last year, I realized that the place I had planted in was far too shady for any good growth. After much thought and careful consideration in my yard, I decided to plant our garden alongside our patio. It is a sunny location that is close to the house, so it will make it easier on me to maintain it and water it throughout the summer ... Continue Reading

At the Car Wash- Keeping little ones entertained during the summer doesn't have to be a challenge. Check out our fun and crazy car wash that we did this week....Continue Reading

Earth Day Reflections- We had a great day together, celebrating Earth Day yesterday. To celebrate we spent the entire day outside and I made sure we had lots of stuff to do while we were out there. I gathered all of our supplies together and grabbed two water bottles for the kids to keep them hydrated while we were outside. Apparently, Ethan had been discussing Earth Day with his teachers because he looked at me and said, "That bottle is not a 7, right? 7's are BAD and I can't drink from them."...Continue Reading

Don't miss a single entry and subscribe to my feeds! We have made it easy for you to do it- you are just a click away!

Giving Away the Mother Load!

ParentsConnect is sponsoring a fabulous giveaway on our site. They are offering gift packs with a Nickelodeon umbrella, t-shirt, and a Barnyard Book for two of our lucky readers. To enter, please submit a comment HERE and tell us one of your best parenting tips. Entries are due by April 29th (Tuesday) at 8 PM Eastern Time. I am sorry but this contest is only open to US Residents (including PR and CAN).

It is time for another bloggy giveaway carnival and I am going take the plunge and participate again. Because I am oh-so-unoriginal and always think you shouldn't mess with a good thing, I am sponsoring the same exact giveaway as I did last time.. $25 Starbucks Gift Card! The last contest was such a roaring success that I want to replicate that again. Yeah, I know...boring and unoriginal. To enter, please tell me one issue you struggle with when it comes to your family finances. I will use your questions as material for my site. It can be anything, anything at all. The more original the better. ENTER HERE BY 8PM TONIGHT!!

New Real Mom Reviews:

Todd English GreenPan

Phosphate-Free eco+ Dishwasher Detergent

Kraft 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese

Featured Recipe of the Week:

Vanilla Scented Granola

Forum Discussions:

What kind of things do you do for your children's bedtime routines? Have you adapted them over time? About how long does the routine last? ...Join the Discussion

Boo Hoo. I had to buy gas this morning and it's 3.89 a gallon...the lowest price I could find here. I swear I almost had a panic attack when I saw the price... Join the Discussion

Play it Again, Momma!

Did you miss these posts the first time around? Here they are for your reading pleasure!

Going Without Prescription Coverage: A Self Discovery

Use eBay & Save

Hospital Hospitality

Good Cheap Fun- BUNCO!!

Not enough of me yet?

WSBT: Affordable Birthday Parties

Frugal Hacks: Celebrating Earth Day

Blissfully Domestic: Weeding Through Your Childs Artwork Creatively

Michiana Family Magazine: Goodbye, Old Friend- Asking Jealousy to Leave

Kenmore: Make Meal Planning Easier

Carnival of the Recipes (@ Wow! You are Really Lucky...)

Carnival of Personal Finances (@ The Happy Rock-We made the Editor's Pick!!!)

Make It From Scratch (@ Stop the Ride)

Carnival of Debt Reduction (@ No Debt Plan- We made the Editor's Pick!!)

Festival of Frugality (On Financial Success)

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Thursday, April 24, 2008

Amy's Notebook 04.24.08

This kitchen stool idea is so cute (@ Daily Danny)

I bet my children would love this banana bread (@ ljcblog)

This gak recipe would be a great project for me to do with the kids on a rainy day (@ pollywog's cakewalk)

This chicken and broccoli casserole sounds so yummy (@ Divine Domesticity)

I want to try making sourdough bread (@ The Kitchn)

When the kids get a little older, I want to try geocaching (@ Skip to My Lou)

These vintage potholders are so stinking cute (@ Design Sponge)

This is a great tutorial on making your own custom blend laundry detergent (@ Be It Ever So Humble)

I want to make some of this rainbow Jell-O (@ Do Better)

This is such an inventive kitchen makeover (@ Brownie Points)

I love this list of knitting resources (@ Looking Towards Heaven)

This is a great guide to starting your seeds indoors (@ Scribbit)

Here is a great round-up of menu planning resources (@ I'm an organizing junkie)

I want to make these nature cans with the kids (@ Plum Pudding)

I love these shaving cream art project ideas (@ Design Mom)

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Earth Day Reflections

We had a great day together, celebrating Earth Day yesterday. To celebrate we spent the entire day outside and I made sure we had lots of stuff to do while we were out there. I gathered all of our supplies together and grabbed two water bottles for the kids to keep them hydrated while we were outside. Apparently, Ethan had been discussing Earth Day with his teachers because he looked at me and said, "That bottle is not a 7, right? 7's are BAD and I can't drink from them." For a moment, I felt a little bit of panic as I looked on the bottom to reveal our numbers. It appeared we had an acceptable number, but nothing like a kid to keep you on your toes.

We took our chalk outside and Ethan drew this beautiful picture of the earth. Emily helped by scribbling her own little pictures with him.



I picked up this little journal from the dollar store and told Ethan that he could fill the pages with whatever things he saw in nature. He put together some really beautiful pictures of all the things he saw. Then I wrote the alphabet for him and he filled in the book with pictures of things that started with those letters. This kept him busy for about an hour and he loved showing his book to his daddy.



While Ethan documented in his journal, I took some pictures of some of the beautiful things in our yard.

Then I plopped myself in a chair and started my new book from one of my favorite bloggers, Soule Mama. If you are looking for ways to be more creative with your kids, I would highly recommend this book.

We had a wonderful day and didn't turn the television on once! The evening was spent building forts, drawing pictures, playing in the bath, and special stories. It was a quiet and lovely Earth Day!

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Giveaway: $25 Starbucks Gift Card

It is time for another bloggy giveaway carnival and I am going take the plunge and participate again. Because I am oh-so-unoriginal and always think you shouldn't mess with a good thing, I am sponsoring the same exact giveaway as I did last time.. $25 Starbucks Gift Card! The last contest was such a roaring success that I want to replicate that again. Yeah, I know...boring and unoriginal.

To enter, please tell me one issue you struggle with when it comes to your family finances. I will use your questions as material for my site. It can be anything, anything at all. The more original the better.

The winner will be picked on Friday at 8PM! Make sure your name is clickable or that you leave me your email address so I can contact you!

********************************************

ParentsConnect is sponsoring a fabulous giveaway on our site. They are offering gift packs with a Nickelodeon umbrella, t-shirt, and a Barnyard Book for two of our lucky readers. To enter, please submit a comment HERE and tell us one of your best parenting tips. Entries are due by April 29th (Tuesday) at 8 PM Eastern Time. I am sorry but this contest is only open to US Residents (including PR and CAN).

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Celebrating Earth Day

Happy Earth Day, everyone! I hope that you all will be celebrating this special day. We are looking forward to celebrating Earth Day as a family, not just today, but every day. My son is still talking about Earth Hour and just asked me yesterday when we could do this again. He has even been learning about how special our planet is at school and I was so excited to hear him talking about the ways he could make the world better. These are proud moments for a parent as we talk about this often with Ethan.

I never thought I was one of those kinds of parents, but here I am dumping all disposable items, cloth diapered my baby, making my own cleaners, line drying my clothes, carrying my reusable bags, gardening, and am wearing 80-90% of my clothing from the thrift store. Many of the choices I have made came from a financial standpoint, but have evolved into more of a commitment to going green than I ever imagined. Step aside, hippy moms, there is a new eco-chick in town!

Stumped for ideas? Here are a few to help you celebrate this day in a big way-

80+ Green Sites & Resources (@ Mashable)

Earth Day Crafts to Do With Your Children (@ Kaboose)

How to Celebrate Earth Day (@ WikiHow)

Earth Day Ideas for Kids & Classrooms (@ Amazing Moms)

Making Earth Day a Family Day (@ Crunchy Domestic Goddess)

Earth Day Every Day (@ Parents.com)

Celebrate Earth Day (@ EcoKids)

Let's Make This Earth Day a Real Earth Day (@ The Good Human)


Sound Off:
How do you plan to celebrate Earth Day with your kids?

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At the Car Wash

Two shallow containers of water with just a drop of dish soap.

Mommy's ah-ha moment! Two shower loofahs, instead of sponges, so my children don't completely soak themselves.


Two cars that have been sitting idle in the garage all winter.

Two little children assess the task at hand.

Working hard.

Hardly working.
Hours of enjoyment for all!

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Monday, April 21, 2008

Redbox Code 04.21.08

Today's free code for a Redbox movie is 6XQ15B. This code is good for one free movie and you can use it until midnight tonight. Enjoy a free family movie together!

Side Notes:

- If you want to rent more than one movie for free, bring more than one credit/debit card. You can use the same promotional code, you just will need different cards to charge it to. The charge will be zero as long as you return your movie on time for the next day.

- When entering in your free movie code, you need to enter it FIRST before picking the movie. On the very first screen, click the, "Rent with Promo." Enter in the above code and then make your selection- the amount should then total zero.

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Sunday, April 20, 2008

How Our Garden Grows

Welcome to my little garden. After my earnest attempts last year, I realized that the place I had planted in was far too shady for any good growth. After much thought and careful consideration in my yard, I decided to plant our garden alongside our patio. It is a sunny location that is close to the house, so it will make it easier on me to maintain it and water it throughout the summer.

This year I planted Italian flat leaf parsley, basil, rosemary, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, green peppers, cauliflower, and broccoli. I had some troubles finding vegetables this year so I am either really late to the gardening party or too early. I don't think I am that late considering our crazy Midwest weather, but who knows? I am hoping that our little bit of earth will help to combat the higher grocery prices this year.

I am really excited about enjoying some fresh produce from own yard again. I am also looking forward to the children helping me pick from and maintain the garden this year. Ethan was so excited to help water and also helped to hand me the plants as we did our initial planting. I can already feel that this is going to be another great year for us and I love our new garden location.

How is everyone's planting coming along? I hope your gardens are doing well!

In the spirit of good gardening and outdoor projects, here are some great links to some other fun reads:

33 Backyard Projects You Can Do (@ Tip Nut)

DIY: Build Your Own Garden Box (@ casasugar)

Planting Potatoes In Old Tires (@ Stop the Ride!)

The Bountiful Container: Gardening in Small Spaces (@ Get Rich Slowly)

The Children's Garden (@ Shakyard)

Get a Good Sack and Get To Totin' (@ Modern Cottage)

Buying Bulk Gravel (@ Clever Dude)

Rolling Out the Beauty (The Lylah Blog)

Garden Without Spending A Lot of Green (@ Not Made of Money)

Thrifty Containers for Tomatoes (@ You Grow Girl)

Creating a Kid-Friendly Garden (@ Parent Hacks)

Making Compost at Home (@ How to Compost)

The Big "O" (@ Innstyle Montana)

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A Drizzly Saturday

Ethan's prayers were answered and we had a drizzly Saturday. The drizzles weren't so bad that they couldn't play outside, but Ryan had other plans for his Saturday that required total concentration.

We have just a few more rows to go and finally our patio will be complete. We had to rip the entire patio out last summer because a tree (which we removed) had uprooted the patio, making it a treacherous terrain to walk on and bumpy ground for our patio set. Ryan's parents redid their entire landscape in their backyard and let us take their old brick. Using our brick and mixing it with the new brick, we are making a cool design and the only cost to us has been time and sand to level and fill in the cracks. I think it will be really great when it is done, we just never expected it would take this long to complete.


The kids played in their rainy day suitcase for over two hours while Ryan was outside working. I sat on the couch and happily snapped pictures of them and worked some more on my little beginner knitting project.


This instrument that I picked up from the thrift store has been a hit with both of them. Emily was strumming a little tune for us. I love that this is a nice and quiet instrument, even if they try to play it loudly.

Quiet little Saturday at home- what could be better?

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Friday, April 18, 2008

Freebie Friday: April 18, 2008

Thanks to Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, for helping again with our list this week. She had a great list and has tons more freebies available on her site. There is now a part two to the home baker secrets post so be sure to read that for more yummy recipes. Heather was also featured on Frugal Hacks this week with a round-up of some really great freebies!

Health & Beauty
o.b. tampon (free sample when you enter sweepstakes)
Prilosec OTC (Walmart sample)
Sunsilk (New Waves of Envy available)

Food
Sunkist Lemonade Stand (for kids ages 7-12)
Kroger Reusable Shopping Bag (credit on your Kroger Shoppers card)

Entertainment

Home & Garden

Pet Care

Science Diet's Nature's Best Dog Food (get sample after playing Natural Ingredients game)
Yappy Treats

Reader Freebie Alerts:

I have seen commercials lately from McDonald's about a free iced coffee. I thought it came and went, but today I was at a McDonald's (in Raleigh, NC) and there was a big ad on one of the windows that said "Free iced coffee (sample size) every Wednesday for the month of April, 11am-2pm." I don't know if this is just a NC thing but there are two more Wednesdays left this month so I thought it was worth sharing with everyone! Hope this helps! :o)
~Ashley

Thanks, Ashley! Has anyone else heard anything about this in their hometown? Please share in the comments!



Mark Your Calendars
April 19 - Walmart 1 Million Reuseable Bag Giveaway starts at 8 am
Starting April 22- Macy's Celebrates Earth Day- -Free Sapling for the First 100 in each store on 4/22
Free Tote Bag for the First 150 in each store on 4/26, and 4/27 and free Kid Power Activity Book for everyone on 4/26 and 4/27
April 30 - 31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin-Robbins to honor America's firefighters
May 1 - Carvel Free Artic Blender or Blended Coffee from 4-6 pm
May 5-11 - Cinnabon celebrates National Nurses Week with free Cinnabon Rolls
May 15 - Free Iced Coffee at Dunkin Donuts 10am-10pm

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MomAdvice Weekly Recap: 04.18.08

My son is back to school and Spring Break has ended. We had so much fun this past week that he was very reluctant to return back to school. I think I made it a fun vacation for him and I hope that you all enjoyed your spring breaks with your kids too!

This has been a wonderful week for my family and I just want to thank you all for your sweet comments and congratulations on achieving one of our financial goals. It has meant so much to me to read those and I promise to share next week a more detailed explaination for how we were able to accomplish it.

In the meantime, there is PLENTY of stuff to read! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy some special time with your family.

Featured Article:

Goodbye, Old Friend: Asking Jealousy to Leave-
I pull into the parking lot and park my beat-up car between a Hummer & a Mercedes. I let out a sigh and turn behind me to find him sitting in the backseat between my two children. “You can leave now. You aren’t wanted here,” I say. He looks back at me, absently, dismissing my request with a blank smile..... Continue Reading

Blog Entries for Fun & Discussion:

Rainy Day Survival Kit -
I have been wanting to work on this project for some time, and since it was miserable weather all weekend, it seemed like the perfect time to tackle this project. I went to Goodwill and found a plain leather suitcase for $5. I gave it a good scrubbing, when I got it home, and proceeded to decorate it with some knick knacks from my craft supplies ... Continue Reading

Being Busy or How Technology Takes Over Our Lives- Technology is a great thing, but it can also cause a disconnection between ourselves and the people in our lives. I will use my cell phone use as a perfect example for how it has helped my relationships grow and how it can also take away from my relationships....Continue Reading

Spring Break '08 Cost Breakdown- We did so much over our spring break, that we took the last day off to just rest. The kids were tired and so was I, but we finished the weekend off with a yummy dinner and another free Netflix rental..."Alvin & the Chipmunks."...Continue Reading

This American's Dream- When the American dream consists of a McMansion, giant flat screen television, and an expensive car, I often feel like my American dream seems modest and unremarkable....Continue Reading

Our Debt-Free Party- We finally celebrated our debt-free party, after making the final payment on our credit cards today. I wanted to make sure that it was really special and that the kids would be an active participant in our joy and elation of all we did to work towards this day.....Continue Reading

Don't miss a single entry and subscribe to my feeds! We have made it easy for you to do it- you are just a click away!

Giving Away the Mother Load!

ParentsConnect is sponsoring a fabulous giveaway on our site. They are offering gift packs with a Nickelodeon umbrella, t-shirt, and a Barnyard Book for two of our lucky readers. To enter, please submit a comment HERE and tell us one of your best parenting tips. Entries are due by April 29th (Tuesday) at 8 PM Eastern Time. I am sorry but this contest is only open to US Residents (including PR and CAN).

New Real Mom Reviews:

Phosphate-Free eco+ Dishwasher Detergent

Kraft 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese

Hane's Childrens Clothing Line

Featured Recipe of the Week:

Key Lime Pie With a Graham Cracker & Oatmeal Crust

Forum Discussions:

Do you live green? Use eco-friendly cleaning products? I found this website...Join the Discussion

Has anyone had experience with bananas leaving a stain that won't come out? I had no idea this might happen. My daughter went a little nuts with her banana at daycare one day, and got a lot of it on her pants. She also had some dirt on her knees from crawling around outside (it was a rare nice day here in the Midwest).... Join the Discussion


Play it Again, Momma!

Did you miss these posts the first time around? Here they are for your reading pleasure!

Taking a Look at Our Electrical History

It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know

Ask For Your Discounts

Budget Friendly Ideas for Kids Rooms

Car Repair on a Budget

Disney or Bust

Not enough of me yet?

WSBT: Affordable Birthday Parties

Frugal Hacks: Preparing for Those Rainy Days

Blissfully Domestic: Dressing Your Kid Like a Celebrity...Or Die Trying

Michiana Family Magazine: Goodbye, Old Friend- Asking Jealousy to Leave

Kenmore: Make Meal Planning Easier

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Thursday, April 17, 2008

Morning & Night

Now that it has finally warmed up, Emily & I can start taking our walks in the morning again. As soon as I drop Ethan off, we pull into the garage and get that old stroller out. I fill the little compartments with oodles of Cheerios and a cup of milk and we can set off for our morning walk together. Emily takes in the sites while I try and get my body moving again. It has been a long winter of being cooped up so it feels good to be enjoying this fresh air and sunshine.


A little rocket fuel speeds up the pace. For $2, this is a sweet little indulgence to help me go, go, go. I love McDonald's Vanilla Iced Coffees for a morning pick-me-up. A whole heck of a lot cheaper than the Starbucks and just as yummy! A large one can last me an entire day!

What happens at night in this house? A whole lot of this! Can someone be addicted to knitting because I think I have found a new addiction? I am usually wound tight as a spring at night, thinking of all that I need to do, and this little hobby has provided some soothing relief to quiet my brain. My iPod is loaded with soft music and I am clicking away on the couch. Thank you all for your great knitting help and suggestions. I am tackling my first little project and making a scarf. My pace is slow, but my heart is proud that I am doing this.

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Amy's Notebook 04.17.08


This sewing bag is so cute (@ Mackville Road)

Aren't these aprons made from hankies darling? (@ An Apron A Day)

The book-lover in me hearts this bag made from a book (@ Curbly Video)

Another great way to use a fitted sheet- protecting your coffee table for crafting (@ Parent Hacks)

This is a great way to make a thrifted sweater really cute (@ Crafty Pod)

This looks like a great rainy day snack (@ Plum Pudding)

I love these patchwork balls (@ Little Birdie Stiches)

I think this tooth fairy pillow is just precious (@ Loria Family Dialogues)

I love this post on gaining perspective on our financial situations (@ Looking Towards Heaven)

These little pizza rolls look so delicious (@ Be It Ever So Humble)

I adore this hooded baby blanket (@ The Thrifty Knitter)

I am going to have to remember these boredom busters the next time we have a yucky day outside (@ Megret, hat tip to Baby Toolkit for the great find!)

I am going to have to remember this t-shirt shrink down post when I find t-shirts at the thrift store (The Sewing Republic)

This is another cute suitcase idea for the little artist in your family (@ Jane's Apron)

This is a great tutorial on gathering (@ Craft Apple)

This little garden party apron tutorial is great (@ i have to say)

I am going to have to make some of this homemade magic shell for the kids this summer (@ Brownie Points)

I adore these wrap skirts and how cute & flirty they are (@ Craftster)

These homemade body scrubs would make wonderful holiday gifts for teachers (@ Angry Chicken)

I am going to have to check out some of these spring reads for the kids (@ Soule Mama)

We plan to make Earth Day a family day in our house (@ Blissfully Domestic)

I love this homemade art work (@ The Simple Mom)

A great list of links for an organized craft room (@ The Lazy Organizer)

More ideas for cheaper shipping (@ Wise Bread)

********************

We are offering another giveaway for our readers on The MotherLoot! Check out our Nick Jr giveaway sponsored by Parents Connect!

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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Our Debt-Free Party


We finally celebrated our debt-free party, after making the final payment on our credit cards today. I wanted to make sure that it was really special and that the kids would be an active participant in our joy and elation of all we did to work towards this day.

Above is our centerpiece for the event. As cheesy as it was, it was symbolic of the fruits of our labor. I put the amount of money that we paid off into the basket to show Ethan what a big sum it was and how excited we were that we didn't have to pay this anymore. The money came from our Monopoly game and we were able to let him count it out and also used it to show how borrowing money works. This made things more tangible for him and we tried to make this a great teaching opportunity for why debt it so bad.

What should a debt-free family eat for their celebration dinner? Steak, of course! I used this marinade recipe and marinated the steaks while I prepared the rest of the ingredients for the meal. I got a big loaf of crusty bread with oil to dip it in, I made this Creamy Spinach Ravioli (minus the dill and prepared with half & half instead of milk), and I made a big batch of brownies for dessert.


Even Emily seemed to appreciate my modest culinary efforts. Most of the ingredients came right from the pantry so it was still an affordable dinner. The writing didn't turn out on the brownies, but we devoured them anyway. That will teach me to get anxious and pipe before they are throughly cooled.

What's a party without a good toast? I got a bottle of wine for our celebration and used our cut up credit card as an accent to our wine glasses. I poured pink lemonade for Ethan in the fancy wine glass so he could celebrate a toast with us.

We clinked glasses several times to get the best shot for you! Ethan loved clinking the glasses so he didn't mind the extra takes.

I finished the evening by reading my entry that I wrote about our happy return to the land of no credit cards. It actually was quite emotional for me to read it out loud to my husband because we went through so much to get to this point.

Thank you all for sharing in our journey with us and for supporting our efforts on the site. Cheers to you!

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This American's Dream

When the American dream consists of a McMansion, giant flat screen television, and an expensive car, I often feel like my American dream seems modest and unremarkable.

Yet, as modest and unremarkable as it is, I feel as though I am living what I would consider a dream come true. After battling a year of unemployment with my husband and a mounting pile of debt, we made our last credit card payment today. $13K of debt stands behind me and in front of me is a future that seems as bright as sunshine.

Yes, my dreamy life is now simple and delightful. I am living in a house that I can afford, in fact, we have been paying extra on it each month so it can feel more like OURS than theirs. My house is nestled in a safe neighborhood with people who care about and for us.

Our house rests on a bit of land that I can do whatever I want with. I can grow food for us to eat and sit outside with my children while they play on their hand-me-down swing set. My clothing can flap in the breeze on the line and we can eat outside in that beautiful fresh air.

My husband goes to work and comes home with a paycheck that we can rely on. When times of self-employment faced days of wonder about whether he would get paid at all, when he was laid off from job after job, when he worked for employers who did not appreciate what a great employee he was something like this almost seems foreign. We are so grateful for this amazing opportunity and for him to have a boss that says, "Please don't ever leave- we need you!" is nothing short of phenomenal.

I am able to put food on my table and gas in my car, despite the rising costs. We might not buy as much or go as many places to make up for the hike in prices, but we go where we need to and eat when we are hungry.

I stay home with my children, which is exactly where I had hoped to be. I cut every corner I could to make it possible, and I sit here amidst a pile of blocks in the floor and a crunching of Cheerios as I scoot my chair back, but one kiss from my peanut butter & jelly smeared daughter makes all of the noise of my life come to a standstill.

When my daughter lays down for her nap and my son enjoys his moments of quiet time, my house is quiet and still. The phone does not ring with collection calls, but it does ring on occasion to let me know that my library materials I request are in. To enjoy answering my phone and to not be fielding these calls is a relief.

Best of all, I share my stories and someone reads them. I never thought anyone would read anything I ever wrote and to know that our site continues to grow and that I am paid to write about my ordinary and extraordinary days is beyond what any person could ever hope for. I have a community that supports me and a family that loves me and it so wonderful to know that the people around me care about what I am doing.

I share these accomplishments, not to brag, but to show how you can overcome debt and that you can lead a simple and beautiful life with your family. As an American, you can chose to live whatever dream you could ever want, but it doesn't have to be a dream of consumerism and being hostage to a credit card company.

And if you are a person who can't answer your phone without worry, if you are struggling with an unemployment situation, if your credit card debt is bigger than your yearly income and you wonder how you can ever get out, I am telling you now that it is possible. Take it one day at a time and put as much as you can towards reducing your debt and building a safety net for your family. We started out with only minimum amounts put towards the debt and slowly worked our way up from there.

It was not without struggle, but rarely have I ever read a good story without a good struggle. Would I even want to read a story where it was smooth sailing and happy rainbows? Probably not! But a story where the heroine overcomes a mountain of debt, struggling each step of the way and documenting her wild ride to the top of the mountain, and then slides down her credit card statements to a rosy finale...now that is a story I would love to read.

So here it is...this American's dream came true and she tackled that mountain. And here she sits with Cheerios crunching under her chair and living that happily ever after that she always dreamed of.

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Tuesday, April 15, 2008

You Can Find Me Here Too!

This week on Blissfully Domestic I am sharing a few tips for dressing your kid like a celebrity...or die trying! You can see a picture of Ethan in his favorite, "Rock Star" t-shirt!

Over at Frugal Hacks I am sharing how we plan to beat the bad weather days this summer and am opening the floor up to see how you keep your little ones entertained when you are stuck indoors.

On WSBT this morning, I shared tips for keeping those birthday parties fun & frugal! We are all about making our celebrations affordable and I share a ton of ideas to make your next birthday party a heck of a lot cheaper!

Tired of me yet? I sure am!

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Rainy Day Survival Kit

I have been wanting to work on this project for some time, and since it was miserable weather all weekend, it seemed like the perfect time to tackle this project. I went to Goodwill and found a plain leather suitcase for $5. I gave it a good scrubbing, when I got it home, and proceeded to decorate it with some knick knacks from my craft supplies. I tied a big bow on the handle and made it look super cool for the kids. If you have older, children, you could invite them to help you! I applied the buttons and ribbon with my trusty hot glue gun.

Hmm... I wonder what could be inside? Let's take a peek, shall we?

It might not look like much to you and me, but to my kids...well, this is a good couple of hours of enjoyment. Inside here I have coloring books, crayons, a deck of cards, pipe cleaners (yes, I told you it wouldn't look like much to us), a 100 piece puzzle, little spinning princess tops, yo-yos, dinosaurs, a little jewelry set with a crown, board games, quiet instruments, and books. Some of the items were "new" and purchased from the thrift store, some were items that I had been rotating and storing because no one was playing with them, and some of them were purchased from the dollar store. I would say even with the cost of the suitcase, there is probably about $15 of stuff invested here, but it is OH SO WORTH IT!

You could pick activities based upon how involved you really want to be with this. If you are looking for a little sanity break, I would suggest putting things in there that they could enjoy playing with by themselves or with their siblings. If you are looking for a good time to bond with your kids, put things in there that you can do with them like board games or stuff for art projects. If you are super smart, you will have a case of each- momma needs a break suitcase and momma wants to be your awesome friend suitcase.

This is such a hit in our house! Ethan keeps asking if it is wet on the ground because he wants to play with this special stuff. Pretty sad when your kids are begging for rainy days, but it makes me feel like this was a great idea and a great way to keep them occupied! Being a Midwest girl, I am sure I will have plenty of days to really use this. If I lived in Seattle, I might have to have a few hundred of these so they wouldn't get tired of the same old stuff.

Might I just add that this would be a great birthday gift for a child and would be a wonderful addition to a grandparent's house too! I am thinking this would be something fun that I could put together for my nephews or would be a great way to store a little girl's dress-up clothes. The possibilities really are endless.

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Being Busy Or How Technology Takes Over Our Lives

Technology is a great thing, but it can also cause a disconnection between ourselves and the people in our lives. I will use my cell phone use as a perfect example for how it has helped my relationships grow and how it can also take away from my relationships.

My entire family is on the Verizon plan so it has been a great way to connect with my family members on a budget. Since everyone in my extended family is considered "long distance" we use our cell phones as a way to communicate with one another. Having those free mobile to mobile minutes has been a Godsend for me and is a way that I can stay in constant contact with the people that I love most. We talk regularly to our family and it keeps us active in one another's lives.

The cell phone also takes me away from the other things that I should be doing. Opportunities where I can connect with my children can become interrupted with the daily chats with friends and family or the beeping of text messages coming through. I can be mid-sentence with my child, hear the cell phone ring, and I run over to it like Pavlov's dog. What if I miss out on something? What if someone needs me and I am not available? What if there is an emergency? What happens is that I end up missing out on real human-to-human contact and I ignore the person who needs me the most.

I had a friend once who would completely ignore me when her phone rang. At first I found this amusing, but later I found it be irritating. I couldn't understand why she needed to have these conversations with others when I was sitting right there wanting to have a "real" converstion with her. I realized later that it made her feel important to have two people vying for her attention. She not only had me captive, but she had someone on the other end captive too. I would later voice my displeasure about it to my husband, but I realize now that sometimes I do this to my very own children. They will be chatting with me about their day and the phone will ring and I will cut them off mid-sentence to answer it. Am I no better than the person who was doing this constantly to me?

Here are some suggestions from the author of, "How Did I Get So Busy?" for ways to disconnect from the technology that can create more busyness in our lives:

1. Engage in stimulating conversations. One of her favorite questions in her house is, "What's the best thing that happened to you today?" She says, "Stimulating conversations are ones that spark dialogue, meaningful interaction, and even reflection." This is something that I can be working on with my family members and really sit down and set aside time to build these relationships meaningfully, instead of hurrying them through conversations.

2. Reach out and touch. The author encourages you to give the people you love a touch of affection to build your relationships. This is something I have no trouble with because I am one of those touchy-feely kind of people that make others cringe. I love to give my friends and family hugs or a peck on the cheek. It is the kind of family I was raised in and something that I have carried over into my own family.

3. Help someone in need. Yes, we are all busy and we all can use this excuse to not help other people around us, but the author encourages you to make time to help others in need because we cannot afford not to help those in need.

4. Acknowledge people for who they are more than what they do. Notice their character traits or sacrifices that were required in order for them to do certain things. Build on those things when offering compliments to others, taking care to notice these things instead of a simple, "Good job!"

5. Laugh. When we are too busy, we might forget to do this, but it is an important way to connect with one another. I do this often with my sister in our daily gab-fests. She makes me laugh like no one else can and about things that no one else would understand. Sisters usually know you inside and out and they can laugh about things that happened in the past and stupid things you did when you were a child and they will laugh about things you do now. If I need a laugh, I can always count on her.

6. Journal. The author suggests even carving out just five minutes a day to journal and connect with yourself. I love the idea of keeping a gratitude journal because it can create such a positive start to your day and starts your focus in the right direction- focusing on what you HAVE not what on you don't have.

7. Meditate. This can go along with your journaling. I am going to try and make a commitment to wake up just a little earlier so that I can have my own quiet time in the morning. This might help my mornings to start out on the right foot and will start my day on a more positive note.

Sound Off: What are some ways that you have found technology interferes with your life? Do you have any tactics for removing those distractions?

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Monday, April 14, 2008

Redbox Code 04.14.08

Today's free code for a Redbox movie is JC10LK. This code is good for one free movie and you can use it until midnight tonight. Enjoy a free family movie together!

Side Notes:

- If you want to rent more than one movie for free, bring more than one credit/debit card. You can use the same promotional code, you just will need different cards to charge it to. The charge will be zero as long as you return your movie on time for the next day.

- When entering in your free movie code, you need to enter it FIRST before picking the movie. On the very first screen, click the, "Rent with Promo." Enter in the above code and then make your selection- the amount should then total zero.

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We are so excited to be offering FIVE Kodak Sport Cameras up for grabs! This giveaway will end TODAY ( 04/14) at 8 PM. To enter, please share one of your favorite tips for getting a great picture or a description of one of the best pictures you have ever taken here! I especially love to hear tips for capturing those dreaded family photos or how to get your child to stand still for any length of time. Of course, the winners will be chosen at random, but I look forward to your responses. Good luck, everyone!

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Sunday, April 13, 2008

Spring Break '08 Cost Breakdown

We did so much over our spring break, that we took the last day off to just rest. The kids were tired and so was I, but we finished the weekend off with a yummy dinner and another free Netflix rental..."Alvin & the Chipmunks."

Here is our cost breakdown for our fun & frugal spring break:

1. Local Park- Free
2. Playing & Working Outside in the Yard, Dinner & "The Bee Movie" to watch- Free
3. Zoo- Admission $12 (Side Note- We just purchased a family pass for $55, which we will use all summer)
4. Healthworks Museum- Free Admission Day
5. Ethan's First Sleepover & Dinner with My Sister- $1.50 for tolls to pick him up
6. Knitting Playgroup & a Birthday Party- $1.69 for yarn & $4 for ingredients for birthday pies

Total Cost- $19.19 for six days of fun!

We saved money by packing lunch at the zoo and the playgroup we attended. For all of the other stuff we did, we just made sure that I had something in mind for what we could eat for dinner so that we weren't tempted to eat out.

We timed a Netflix free trial subscription to our spring break and enjoyed a couple of great movies with the kids when the weather turned bad. I think we are going to keep the membership though because we cut our channels back and it has been so nice to have something to look forward to in the evenings.

I asked Ethan what his favorite thing he did on his break was and he said it was a tie between going to the park, going to the zoo, going to the museum, and going to his cousin's for a sleepover. I think that indicates that I was successful in creating some fun memories for him without breaking the bank.

We hope to share more of our thrifty experiences with you when making our summer vacation plans! After all, who says you need to spend a lot of money to have a great time?

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Key Lime Pie With a Graham Cracker & Oatmeal Crust

For my brother's birthday, he requested his favorite pie... Key Lime! I had never made this type of pie before, but was up for the challenge after hunting around on Recipezaar.com for the perfect recipe.

I used this recipe for the crust which contained the graham crackers and oatmeal, instead of just the plain oatmeal crust. It turned out perfect and made the crust a little heartier and a tad less sweet, which balanced the citrus wonderfully.

I don't have any pictures of the pie because we gobbled it up too fast, but it turned out wonderful. I used this recipe for the filling and the only thing I didn't like about it was that I thought I should have doubled the filling for these pies. I had a lot of crust and a little filling, which made it look more like a tart with too much crust. Regardless, everyone seemed to really enjoy it and I was proud to get to help with the celebration!

I look forward to making more of these this summer. Lucky for me, it is the only pie my husband will eat so I am glad to have found a recipe that he liked.

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Friday, April 11, 2008

Kid's Summer Movie Club

Cinemark has a program this summer for a fun movie club for kids! I was so thrilled to see that our area (Mishawaka- Movies 6) is participating. For us, this program is running at our second-run theater, which is normally a $2 admission. For $5 though, we could get into ten movies this summer- what a deal! Lucky for us, this movie theater is just a few blocks down from our house so it would be a great way to entertain the kids and keep cool this summer.

Here are the details from the website:

• 10 Weeks Of Fun Films For Kids •
• A Different Movie Every Week •
• Weekday Mornings This Summer •

All 10 movies can be purchased in advance for $5.00, or can be
purchased separately at the box office for $1.00 per show.

$5 Series punch cards are limited and are available while supplies last.
Admission with a series punch card is limited to one person per card per movie.

The films that have been selected are rated either G or PG


For more details and to see if your area is participating, check this list!

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Spring Break Day Six


Can you guess what I learned how to do while Ethan was on break? I can hardly believe it, but I can knit now! For our sixth day of spring break, we headed over to my friend Jessica's for a "knitting playgroup," where she taught a group of us how to knit while our kids played. I never would believe in a million years that I could do something like this, but here is some picture proof that I am getting the hang of it. After struggling through her class, I came home and just kept trying and trying. Thanks to a patient teacher and great first lesson, here is how I am doing.

I realize it isn't perfect, but this is my first try and I am so proud. Does anyone have any tips for a newbie knitter? How to save money on knitting? What are the best first projects? What is the best size knitting needles? You know, stuff you wish you would have known when you first started out! I would appreciate your help!

The kids also had a great time playing with the other kids while we gabbed and Jessica helped each of us with our little knitting projects. Total cost spent on this event was $1.69 for yarn (I borrowed a set of her needles).We spent the evening at my brother's birthday party. What kids don't love a good birthday party? He turned 22 and we headed to his house for a celebration. Mom & Dad got pizza and I made two homemade Key Lime Pies for his special day. Despite the lime shortage at the grocery store, they turned out to be really yummy, although a little thinner on the filling than I had hoped! I spent about $4 on ingredients (everything else came from our pantry). Happy birthday, John!

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MomAdvice Weekly Recap 04.11.08


Featured Article:

Goodbye, Old Friend: Asking Jealousy to Leave-
I pull into the parking lot and park my beat-up car between a Hummer & a Mercedes. I let out a sigh and turn behind me to find him sitting in the backseat between my two children. “You can leave now. You aren’t wanted here,” I say. He looks back at me, absently, dismissing my request with a blank smile..... Continue Reading

Blog Entries for Fun & Discussion:

InfantSEE: Free Vision Care for Your Infant -
If you have an infant or even if you have a friend who has an infant, I beg you to not miss this blog post on how you can get free vision care for your infants and why it is so important for healthy development... Continue Reading

How Did I Get So Busy? (A Busy Bee Quiz)- I am exploring how I became so busy and how to stop my feelings of being run down all of the time by sharing a new book I am reading that is helping me...Continue Reading

I Am Tapped Out- I would love to get your feedback on what you would like to see on our site. I have been struggling with the day-to-day maintenance of running the site and our household and I welcome your ideas...Continue Reading

I Am Busy, But Why?- I am trying to share reasons why I have become so busy and how our busyness can be directly relate to our own self-esteem and self-worth...Continue Reading

Don't miss a single entry and subscribe to my feeds! We have made it easy for you to do it- you are just a click away!

Giving Away the Mother Load!

We are running TWO new giveaways this week! Dr. Mindell has written a book called, "Sleep Deprived No More." This is an autographed copy of her book sharing tips for getting pregnant mommies to sleep better and tips for early motherhood. If you would like to win a copy of this autographed book, please leave me a comment here by Friday (04/11) and I will include you in the giveaway. If you have a sleep tip you would like to include that has worked for you, please let us know!

We are so excited to be offering FIVE Kodak Sport Cameras up for grabs! This giveaway will end next Monday ( 04/14) at 8 PM. To enter, please share one of your favorite tips for getting a great picture or a description of one of the best pictures you have ever taken here! I especially love to hear tips for capturing those dreaded family photos or how to get your child to stand still for any length of time. Of course, the winners will be chosen at random, but I look forward to your responses. Good luck, everyone!

New Real Mom Reviews:

Ticklebug Changing Kit

dunkluv biscotti

Featured Recipe of the Week:

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Forum Discussions:

Its been awhile since I have been on. I fell off of the frugal homemaking bandwagon. *sigh* I'm back though, and I'm still so uncertain of what I'm doing. A sales flyer has whole fryers on sale for 78 cents a pound. Is that good? I have never in my life cooked a whole chicken. I've read that typically its cheaper to buy it this way though, and I was wanting to give it a shot. I just have no idea when cheap is cheap though. Any help would be great...Join the Discussion

How do you feel about negative thoughts or "vibes" around you making things happen or not happen? For instance, a person in your life that is always grouchy, yelling and angry, how do you feel that affects the things that happen to you? Do good things happen to those with a positive attitude? And negative things happen to those with a negative attitude... Join the Discussion


Play it Again, Momma!

Did you miss these posts the first time around? Here they are for your reading pleasure!

Our Kitchen Makeover

Weekend Projects: The New Workspace

A Tutorial on Painting Kitchen Cabinets

Budget Friendly Ideas for Kids Rooms

Not enough of me yet?

WSBT: Tips for Spring Cleaning

Frugal Hacks: One Deck of Cards Equals Hours of Enjoyment

Blissfully Domestic: Creative Toy Replacements

Michiana Family Magazine: Goodbye, Old Friend- Asking Jealousy to Leave

The Daily Special: Spring Cleaning & Healthy Eating

Kenmore: Make Meal Planning Easier

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Freebie Friday: April 11, 2008

Thank you to Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, for helping us with our freebies for this week. She has a great article on her site called, "Secrets of a Home Baker" that has a recipe in it that I just can't wait to try! I hope you will make some time to swing by her site and catch up on all of the latest and greatest freebies!



Health & Beauty

Huggies Diaper (Walmart, choose size 1,3,5)
Food

Entertainment
$5 off $5 purchase at KB Toys (when you sign-up for KB Clubhouse)
Sport Diver Magazine (offered by ValueMags)
Harper Collins Advanced Readers Club (they have an advanced readers club for adults, teens, & children)
Visit a participating Foot Locker and try on a pair of Adidas MegaBounce shoes. The first 17,750 people to try on a pair of Adidas shoes will receive a 512 MB USB flash drive. This offer expires May 12, 2008.
In case you missed it, ReadyMade Magazine is still available!
American Cheerleader Magazine
American Photo Magazine
Captured By Grace Book (Christian Publication)
"89 Little Known Secrets To Saving Money In Today's Economy!" E-Book (Scroll down to where it says, "Click here to start your download)

Pet Care

Mark Your Calendars

April 12-13 - All You Magazine Event at Walmart 10-4 (free samples, complimentary magazines)
April 29 - Ben & Jerrys 30th Annual Free Cone Day
April 30 - 31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin-Robbins to honor America's firefighters
May 1 - Carvel Free Artic Blender or Blended Coffee from 4-6 pm
May 15 - Free Iced Coffee at Dunkin Donuts 10am-10pm

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Thursday, April 10, 2008

New Article- Goodbye, Old Friend: Asking Jealousy To Leave

I have added a new article to our website called, "Goodbye, Old Friend: Asking Jealousy to Leave." If you read my articles in Michiana Family Magazine, you will find this same article there, in their April issue. It was a more personal piece for me, but I wanted to share how I struggle with jealousy too and ways that I have found to be helpful to put that negative thinking elsewhere.

You will also find me sharing about card games over at Frugal Hacks. My article isn't half as interesting as the comments. There is an awesome comment on there about using a deck of cards to do workouts- don't miss it!

Finally, this week on WSBT, I also shared my tips for spring cleaning. Speaking of, where in the world are my printables? I did take a break with the kids on spring break and my whole mental breakdown this week... hopefully I can get back to it this weekend, but it is not far from my mind! No worries!

************************************

We are running TWO new giveaways this week! Dr. Mindell has written a book called, "Sleep Deprived No More." This is an autographed copy of her book sharing tips for getting pregnant mommies to sleep better and tips for early motherhood. If you would like to win a copy of this autographed book, please leave me a comment here by Friday (04/11) and I will include you in the giveaway. If you have a sleep tip you would like to include that has worked for you, please let us know!

We are so excited to be offering FIVE Kodak Sport Cameras up for grabs! This giveaway will end next Monday ( 04/14) at 8 PM. To enter, please share one of your favorite tips for getting a great picture or a description of one of the best pictures you have ever taken here! I especially love to hear tips for capturing those dreaded family photos or how to get your child to stand still for any length of time. Of course, the winners will be chosen at random, but I look forward to your responses. Good luck, everyone!

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Amy's Notebook 04.10.08

This might be a fun thing to try with the kids- making peanut butter. (@ Jump Up and Down)

I love these instructions on making a unique diaper cake with a little booze in the middle. (@ Alpha Mom)

I would never think to make my own squeeze bottle of jelly. (@ Home Ec 101)

I like this tip for taking notes while on the phone. (@ Parent Hacks)

I love these tips for taking better photos for eBay. (@ Photojojo)

Ceiling tiles for an art canvas is such a smart idea and so is this shoe rack as a modern looking shelf (@ DIY Maven)

I love this tutorial for making your own rubber (or should I say foam?) stamps. (@ Sew-Mad)

I like this idea for keeping kids busy. (@ Write Mama Write)

I love these ribbon headbands especially since I have all the supplies I need. (@ Chocolate On My Cranium)

This carrot cake and party theme is so stinking cute. (@ Plum Pudding)

This broccoli & feta pasta would be so yummy for my lunch. (@ The Kitchn)

I still need to make my own laundry detergent. (@ The Simple Dollar)

I am going to have to remember these Easy Bake Oven recipes when Emily gets a little older (@ Baby Toolkit)

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Spring Break Day Five

On the fifth day of Spring Break, my true love gave to me....Wait! That's not how it goes! Well, on day five of our break we had my sister and nephews over for dinner. I made chicken tacos and a tray of Rice Krispie treats for dessert.

When my sister comes over it is a built-in playgroup for us. There are only six months between Emily & Jackson and nine months between Austin & Ethan. The kids play so well together that the two of us can spend a lot of time with our feet kicked up so it works out great for us.

At the end of the evening, my sister invited Ethan over to stay the night for the boy's first sleepover. Ethan goes to his grandparent's house frequently, but he hasn't gotten the chance to do a sleepover with a friend yet. We had our fingers crossed that it would go well.

The boys did good until they got up super early and were both just a mess by noon. I met my sister halfway to pick the boys up (to save us both on gas and driving time since she lives two towns away). Total cost was $1.50 to pay for tolls to get to our meeting location and gas.


We asked the two little ones to pose for a picture and this is what resulted- they both laid down and arched their backs. Yeah, this is the stage we are going through right now!

Emily loved watching the two older boys play on the Wii. They used it to draw silly pictures for her and it was cracking her up.

Ethan & Austin are best buddies! I just loved this shot of them!

I might be partial, but aren't my nephews adorable? Jackson is obsessed with playing ball right now and actually took one of our balls home because he couldn't part with it.


And what do my sister and I do while the boys play? We eat and eat and eat and eat. I don't know why we do this, but that is what we did. There were hardly any Rice Krispie treats left after all of our eating!

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Wednesday, April 09, 2008

I Am Busy, But Why?

I cracked open this book and was prepared to learn how to manage my time better. In my head, I had envisioned all of the ways that I could manage my day in a more effective way. For example, I could get up by four in the morning, like other bloggers I read, and start my day off with a brisk bit of exercise, breakfast, and some really hard work before my children get up. Then I could reserve their naps for time to catch up on the house, laundry, and bills. Then I could spend the afternoon cooking and catering to everyone's needs. And then I could collapse into utter oblivion...because I don't know how people get up at four in the morning. Or five in the morning. Heck, six sounds too early to me. We can see the beginnings of why I don't manage my time well. I am a late riser and I require oodles of sleep. Sleep has trumped a lot of things in my life and I just can't picture me being a real go-getter in the morning.

As I begin to read though, one of the first things the book said was that it "was not a book on time-management, it was a book on not being busy." Did you feel a chill in the air like I did? What? Not be BUSY? But this is my life. No, I want a book that is going to teach me that busyness is good and perfectly acceptable, but that I just need to manage my busyness more effectively.

That is when I realized how deeply rooted my problem had become. The author says, "I valued achievement more highly than joy, which led to speeding toward the finish line of every project, goal, or task without regard for the gift the journey. I had bought into the belief that taking on more work, projects, or activities validated my worth, abilities, and potential. Certainly there is nothing wrong with being industrious, but beware when busyness becomes a self-esteem substitute."

Yes, I am admitting that feeling busy makes me feel important and I get a high from it. It feels good to be validated by others and to offer my opinions and insights. I think that this really started when I became an at-home mom and it felt good to hear that other grown-ups respected what I had to say and that I had a valuable opinion. Being pooped on and peed on certainly wasn't making me feel good, but if I had a full calendar...well, I was popular! If my schedule was jam-packed, this proved that I had friends, and lots of them!

But could I possibly build any meaningful friendships if I am only able to pencil my friends in once a month? Did anyone ever get all of me if all I was thinking about was the next engagement or the next thing I had to do? I am realizing how bad this really is.

The author suggests making a new declaration that you can work towards while working through her book.

Declaration of My Personal Lifestyle
1. I only engage in activities that reflect what really matters to me.
2. I take all of my vacation time every year.
3. I make a heart-to-heart connection every day with someone I care about.
4. I honor my body's need for rest.
5. I have fun at least once a week.
6. I eat at regular intervals and at a slow pace.
7. I find enjoyable ways to exercise at least three times per week.
8. I do not allow technology to consume my time, but use it to maximize my time.
9. I say no to activities that do not pass my "personal priority test."
10. I listen to my inner voice when making decisions.

Just looking at this list, I can tell you exactly what is going to be a problem for me. #1,6,7,8,9, & 10. I don't eat like I should, I don't exercise regularly, I can't say no, my computer is a major time sucker, and I rethink my inner voice all of the time to please others.

What things on this list would be hard for you? Where do you struggle when it comes to busyness? Here's a tough one...does busyness boost your self-esteem? (You can sign in anonymously as always!)

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InfantSEE- Free Vision Care for Your Infant

At J&J's Camp Baby, my favorite speaker of the day was from a program called InfantSEE. Dr. Scott Jenns, a successful leading optometrist, discussed children/infant eye care and shared warning signs that could alert parents to potential vision problems. He was a very moving speaker who shared heartbreaking stories of parents who were introduced to the program and were able to alter the course of their child's life with this amazing and free program.

The American Optometric Association encourages parents to include a trip to the optometrist in the list of well-baby check-ups. Assessments at six to twelve months of age can determine healthy development of vision. Early detection of eye conditions is the best way to ensure your child has healthy vision for successful development—now and in the future.

InfantSEE is a public health program designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child's quality of life. This program is FREE to parents and all it takes is a quick moment to look up your zip code to locate a doctor. Just head over to the homepage and click the button at the top to explore doctors in your area. Explore the parenting section as well with tips for vision care for your baby.

I hope this will benefit someone out there. I know that vision care is often not covered by most insurance companies, and this is a way for you to get the care you need for your baby at a very critical time in their lives.

Before this presentation, I would have never thought to schedule this for my infant, and now I will hope to pass on and promote the message that Dr. Jenns was able to share with us! I was disappointed to see that there are no optometrists in my area, but hopefully the word will spread about this excellent program and more optometrists will want to participate.

Sound Off: Do you take your children to the optometrist? How do you save money on your eye care needs? Does you/your husband's company offer any insurance, flexible spending account, or a way for you to get this expense covered? Please share!

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Tuesday, April 08, 2008

"How Did I Get So Busy?" (A Busy Bee Quiz)

I can't begin to tell you how much I have appreciated your feedback on what I should do with this blog and website. I think going away last week, returning to an overwhelming amount to do, and the feeling that I can't possibly keep up was eating away at me. I always feel I should be a positive example to people, but sometimes I need to show the more human side of myself. I have read all of your comments and emails and they mean so much. Maybe I just needed to hear that it was going to be fine if I didn't have something fresh and new every single day. I worry about the loss in traffic and readers, when I should worry more about the priorities in my own life.

Here is to a new direction and a new outlook on time management. As encouraged by you, I am going to try and explore better time management and share with you my journey in this. I am struggling with my day and I know other people must struggle with this too. There is just so much to do and we only have so many hours in the day. Where do we start? How do we manage our days better so that we can get things done without the feelings of being tapped out?

I found a book at the library called, "How Did I Get So Busy?" by Valorie Burton. This book is a 28-day plan to "free your time, reclaim your schedule, and reconnect with what matters most." Ironically, the book caught my eye when I was looking for something else, and I just knew I needed to grab it. I plan to read this and share about reclaiming some of my time and encourage you to pick up the book too! Check and see if you can get it at your local library.

The very first section has a test to see how busy you are. Give yourself 1 point for each statement that you identify with:

Too Busy Test

I feel as though I am constantly trying to catch up at work.
I feel as though I am constantly trying to catch up with personal responsibilities.
My life feels out of balance.
My breathing right now is shallow.
I am regularly late to appointments and scheduled activities.
There's rarely a break in my schedule.
My shoulders are not relaxed right now.
I eat lunch at my desk at least once per week.
I sometimes work straight through lunch.
I have not had a vacation longer than seven days in the last year.
A seven day vacation? I have never had one of those.
I have not gotten together with friends for fun and conversation in over a month.
Keeping up with household chores is a struggle because of time constraints.
I am dissatisfied with the amount of quality time I am able to spend with my spouse or significant other.
I am dissatisfied with the amount of quality time I am able to spend with my child.
I don't take time to exercise.
I resent the things I do for family or friends because I have little or no time for myself.
The fuel light in my car has come on at some point in the last two months because I have not had time to fill it up.
My mail is piled up because I haven't had time to open or sort it.
I have missed paying a bill on time in the last three months because I was too busy to notice the due date had passed.
I sometimes run out of socks, jeans, or other laundry items because I haven't had time to do the laundry.
I don't have time to write thank-you notes.
My to-do list rarely gets completely checked off for the day.
I work late more than once per week.
At least once per week, I skip meals because I am too busy.

How Busy Are You?

1-5 Points- Busy
Your schedule is challenging at times, but you are managing to get by. A few small changes will make a big difference towards helping you to take complete control of your time.

6-10 Points- Too Busy
Either life is becoming increasingly too busy for you, or you've been managing to get by but are starting to lose control. By taking action over these next 28 days, you can finally take charge of your schedule and decrease the stress that has been building.

11-16 Points- Too Busy & Frustrated
Life has been hectic for awhile and if you don't slow down soon and become more intentional about where and how you focus your time, you will soon burn out. It is essential that you begin to take steps now so you can get your life back.

17-25 Points- Out of Control
From the author, "I understand. I've been there. And it's possible for you to transform how you live so that your schedule is aligned with what's most important to you. It may require some big changes, but remember that change is about making choices."

I am looking forward to diving in on the first chapter of this. Time management is a tough issue for me and not one I have ever mastered. I have little sleep and exist a lot on my coffee addiction. I don't exercise, I don't take that great of care for myself, I sometimes feel as though I am "coasting" when it comes to managing the house and housework. I basically do as little as I have to do right now to keep up with this side business and that isn't what my intentions were in the beginning. It is comforting to know that I am not alone and here I am, exposing myself to you (in a totally G-Rated kind of way!)

My score was a 17 on this quiz. I am wondering if I am alone? Where are you at on this quiz?

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Spring Break Day Four

Today we went for the free day at our local Healthworks Museum. On the 8th day of each month this year, they offer free admission and I thought this would be a fun (and affordable) activity to do with the kids. Apparently every parent in our community thought the same thing because there were over 200 people in that one room museum. It was complete insanity and I was feeling a little panicky because I couldn't keep an eye on both kids at the same time. I met my friend Kyra, from Kids Around the Bend and my friend Katie, who helped me keep an eye on Ethan while I tailed Emily around the museum, but we were all overwhelmed with so many children there!


Emily really loved the food displays that shared what foods to eat and how our food is digested. The pumpkin was a definite favorite and she carried it around with her.

Lots of food puzzles were there for the kids to put together.

Do you see anything funny growing in the garden? Ethan pops up among the flowers.


They had a cute little market stand where the kids could weigh, purchase, and sell food. Emily and Ethan spent a lot of time there.

We planned to head over to the Chocolate Cafe to see the new kid's play area and have lunch there, but Emily was BESIDE herself and threw the biggest tantrum of the century in the play area. Tears were shed all around as Ethan lost his "lucky" balloon as soon as we walked outside and Emily continued to throw her tantrum all the way out to the car. I think we were all overwhelmed with the amount of people at both locations.

At least we saved some money by eating lunch at home and Emily headed straight to bed for her nap!

I am planning to head back to the Chocolate Cafe another time with just Ethan though- we have both been looking forward to visiting it and seeing the new play area.

All in all, not the best day for Emily, but Ethan had a fabulous time!

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Monday, April 07, 2008

I Am Tapped Out

I am feeling very tapped out these days. I thought that I could do all of this and I am starting to question why I signed up for all of this stuff. Does anyone else feel like this?

I need to come up with daily entries for the blog, conduct a giveaway and a few reviews each month for the product reviews, I should be updating the Aldi blog (although I haven't in awhile), and I am trying to come up with a well-researched article monthly to add to our content.

I guest blog for two blogs, I write monthly for a print publication, I represent Kenmore and help them put together a monthly entry for that and promote whatever it is going on, I film four-five segments each month for our local news... and I am tired.

I don't have any new material and I feel at a loss this month for what I can do. Can you guys please help me and tell me what would be some good topics to cover? I just have nothing in me and I feel like I am doing the same tired tap dance over and over again. I am human and I know it is normal to feel like this at times, I just seem to be in a funk and can't get out of it. I would appreciate any help you can offer!

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Redbox Code 04.07.08 (& Giveaways)

Today's free code for a Redbox movie is 92M3V8. This code is good for one free movie and you can use it until midnight tonight. Enjoy a free family movie together!

Side Notes:

- If you want to rent more than one movie for free, bring more than one credit/debit card. You can use the same promotional code, you just will need different cards to charge it to. The charge will be zero as long as you return your movie on time for the next day.

- When entering in your free movie code, you need to enter it FIRST before picking the movie. On the very first screen, click the, "Rent with Promo." Enter in the above code and then make your selection- the amount should then total zero.

************************************

We are running TWO new giveaways this week! Dr. Mindell has written a book called, "Sleep Deprived No More." This is an autographed copy of her book sharing tips for getting pregnant mommies to sleep better and tips for early motherhood. If you would like to win a copy of this autographed book, please leave me a comment here by Friday (04/11) and I will include you in the giveaway. If you have a sleep tip you would like to include that has worked for you, please let us know!

We are so excited to be offering FIVE Kodak Sport Cameras up for grabs! This giveaway will end next Monday ( 04/14) at 8 PM. To enter, please share one of your favorite tips for getting a great picture or a description of one of the best pictures you have ever taken here! I especially love to hear tips for capturing those dreaded family photos or how to get your child to stand still for any length of time. Of course, the winners will be chosen at random, but I look forward to your responses. Good luck, everyone!

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Spring Break Day Three

Today we visited the zoo. We were planning to go on our own, but I called my girlfriend and she was heading to the zoo too so we decided to meet up. We purchased our zoo pass for the year ($55 for a family pass), but we visit the zoo often and also go to other more expensive zoos, so it ends up paying for itself within a few visits.


Do you see anyone else in the picture? The tiger is in the far left, and the crazy lady with the camera is dead center. The kids loved seeing the tiger!


Ethan's best buddy, Alexis!

Emily's favorite exhibit was the monkeys. She loved making monkey sounds at them. Say, "Cheese!"


Taking time for a quick pose on the turtle.

We packed a lunch to save some money and ate at the park. I had some leftover Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad that made the perfect lunch. The kids enjoyed some yummy peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, apples, and crackers.

The rest of the day I plan to catch up on laundry and getting the house back in order since I was away. If you are looking for some fun things to do with the kids today, check out my post, "Creative Toy Replacements" featured on Blissfully Domestic!

Sound Off: Do you purchase a family pass to any area attractions?

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Sunday, April 06, 2008

Spring Break Day Two


Today we worked on the yard together as a family. I mowed the lawn to help mulch up the leaves, we worked on our flower beds a little, trimmed the hedges, and also laid down some grass seed. It doesn't sound like much fun, but that was what needed to be done today!

While I mowed, the kids were watching me from the window. They kept knocking on the glass to get me to wave and making funny faces.

After it was safe for them to come out, they helped rake and gather leaves with me. They also spent some time playing in the water table, blowing bubbles, and kicking a beach ball.

We headed inside for a yummy dinner- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, Cheese & Crackers, and some freshly chopped carrots. I timed a Netflix free trial subscription to our Spring Break so we watched, "The Bee Movie" while we enjoyed the yummy food.

This would have been another day of no spending, but Ethan cashed in his tickets to rent a game. Does anyone else think that $9 is a bit too steep for a Wii game rental? What in the world? My husband took him and let him pick what he wanted. Next time, we agreed that we will get a Playstation game or even buy a used game for that price (at Blockbuster). What a rip off!

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Saturday, April 05, 2008

Spring-y Break Day One Pt II


Emily loved the swings best of all! She spent a good hour letting me push her in the swing. We all took turns giving her a good push- even Ethan!


Ethan prefers the slides!


Complete and utter joy.



Dontcha wish your mommy was hot like this? Crazy wild hair ensues after a day at the park and there were tears all the way home from Emily. I look like I am smiling, but I am gritting my teeth because she is doing the best to kick the back of the seat because she is mad that I made her leave the park. Ahhh! Motherhood!

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Spring-y Break Day One


We match perfectly! You know, me and the color red- I am enforcing the color on my kid now too!


Peeking Out


My handsome hubby!


Emily was not looking forward to her picture being taken. It was keeping her from the swings! Remember, it is painful to have our pictures done with our mommy!


A fun day at the park with the kids was how we decided to kick off our spring break! It was a beautiful day outside and we couldn't resist taking advantage of such a perfect day. I have missed the kids so much and they enjoyed a whole day of fun & sunshine with us!

We are looking forward to a fun week ahead and I have lots of ideas for fun & cheap things that I can do with them while we are on break. Ryan is back to work, after taking vacation time for my trip, so it will be just the three of us during the day this week.

Sound Off: Any big plans Spring Breakers?

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Amy's Notebook 04.05.08

I love these tips on using cast iron skillets (@ Allie's Green Answers)

I love this piece on teaching our children about the presidential election (@ BlogHer courtesy of Shannon)

I love these cute labels for homemade cleaners- definitely makes going green more fun (@ The Worsted Witch)

I am going to have to remember these tips for shipping care packages (@ Saving Advice)

I love these ideas for doing a birthday party scavenger hunt (@ Frugal Hacks courtesy of the Deputy Headmistress)

Here is some more information on getting your television converter box (@ Wisebread)

These soft chocolate chip cookies sound good (@ Jane's Apron)

I liked these tips for using a seam ripper (@ Purl Bee)

I am going to have to make some of this puff paint with my kids (One Crafty Mumma)

I love this idea for a hair iron cozy made from oven mitts (@ Craftster)

I like this idea of using peanut butter jars for storage (@ Plum Pudding)

I had not heard about this issue with Redbox- be sure to read this if you use a Redbox (@ Clever Dude)

I like these tips for spring cleaning your personal finances (@ The Frugal Duchess)

I love this pattern for a ruffled apron (@ Blissfully Domestic)

I want to try this sugar cookie recipe (@ Divine Domesticity)

I love this idea for indoor hopscotch! (@ Ohdeedoh)

This is such a great idea- homemade reusable tea bags (@ Craft Leftovers)

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Great Sleeping Tips & a Book Giveaway

J&J's Camp Baby was such a great experience for me and I tried to take lots of notes to share with all of you. I do want to say what an honor it was to be included and to be among such amazing women. I made tons of new friends and enjoyed visiting with one my favorite blogging mommas, Jamie.

Our first speaker was Dr. Jodi Mindell, who shared with us tips for getting your infant to sleep. I kept thinking to myself how wonderful it would have been to have had this lecture when our Emily was born. This lady knew her stuff, but she was not preachy or condemning parents for not doing things the right way. She was matter-of-fact about it, and had excellent tips to offer us.

She stated that the three most important steps to getting your baby to sleep were:

1. Good sleep schedule
2. Bedtime routine- Which includes three to four quiet activities, bath/washing, a little baby massage, stories, and cuddle time.
3. Falling asleep independently- Nursing/feeding your little one early in bedtime and putting them to bed drowsy, but still awake.

For getting our older children to sleep (and stay in bed) she shared these ideas:

1. Making a bedtime chart or a sticker chart for going to bed nicely (We use the tickets for this one too!)
2. Employing a sleep fairy in your house- This was an idea that I believe that worked for one of her patients. They would tell the child that if they slept in their bed, that the sleep fairy would come and visit them. The sleep fairy would leave a penny under the pillow to let the child know that they had visited them, and would help encourage the child to stay in bed all night.
3. Using a good morning light- Setting a light on a timer in your child's room that would come on when it would be an acceptable hour for them to get up. She said using a clock is too difficult for younger children, but a light is a great option to wake them at an appropriate time.

For separating children (twins) into separate beds/rooms:

1. Have a new bedroom party for the children with balloons and streamers! Celebrate that they are "so big" and ready for their new rooms.
2. Put a picture of their sibling in their room that they can look at.
3. Transitional objects like blankets or a special stuffed animal can help ease the absence.

One parent expressed the difficulties she was having with getting rid of the binky, and the doctor suggested letting the child keep it. The target age for transitioning your child off of a pacifier is by four. If your child is resisting this before they are four, just let them keep it. It is more worrisome if your child sucks their thumb because this damages their teeth.

Dr. Mindell is working with Johnson & Johnson to provide tools for parents to help them with sleep difficulties. You can go to their site and create a customized sleep profile with tips tailored to your child's sleep issues (scroll to the bottom and this option is on the left in a purple cloud).

Dr. Mindell has also written a book called, "Sleep Deprived No More" that she gave to each of the bloggers. This is an autographed copy of her book sharing tips for getting pregnant mommies to sleep better and tips for early motherhood.

If you would like to win a copy of this autographed book, please leave me a comment by Friday (04/11) and I will include you in the giveaway. If you have a sleep tip you would like to include that has worked for you, please let us know!

More information from the numerous speakers to come...

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Friday, April 04, 2008

Freebie Friday: April 4, 2008

Huge thanks to Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, for sharing her list of freebie goodies this week. She saved the day since I just arrived back in town this evening. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I will blog more about the Camp Baby event that I got the opportunity to go to next week, along with two new giveaways for The Mother Loot. In the meantime, I have posted some of my pictures from the event, if you want to take a peek! I learned so much from some amazing speakers and also loved networking and making some great new friends.

Health & Beauty
Sunsilk Hair Care (ask for all 5 "flavors")
Gillette Body Wash (Walmart sample)
Food

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis (restocked if you missed this one in October)
Entertainment

Home & Garden

Earthbound Farm Shopping Tote (for taking conservation quiz)
SC Johnson April Showers Gift Pack (Ziploc & Glade samples)
Pet Care

Mark Your Calendars
April 29 - Ben & Jerrys 30th Annual Free Cone Day
April 30 - 31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin-Robbins to honor America's firefighters
May 15 - Free Iced Coffee at Dunkin Donuts 10am-10pm

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Wednesday, April 02, 2008

I Can Die Happy...



My life is complete- TED ALLEN!

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Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Not Today, Please...

UPDATE: Bunny was found!! Only fellow moms could recognize the tragedy we would have faced without him! Thanks for all of your well wishes and I will write more on location in NJ!

Have you seen this bunny anywhere? It appears my daughter has lost, not just one, but BOTH of her bunnies are missing. I have spent the past hour trying to find them- searching the car, checking behind chairs, looking in cupboards. I am supposed to be packing, but there is no way I am going away without a bunny in her arms.

When I find him, I am going to have to figure out how to install a tracking device inside. I wonder if one of those remote finders would fit nicely on the interior of his face? Wow! Never thought I would say that!

One thing you also do not want text messaged to your phone, right before a trip, is this:

"I am starting to think I have shingles."

Nope, my husband is allergic to penicillin. He made a trip to the doctor's covered in a fiery rash from head to toe. He is completely miserable, but got a prescription to calm down his reaction.

Oh, and since we are talking about fun events that happened today, here is another great one! I typed up a document called, "Daddy's Cliff Notes" with all of the things that he asked me to write up for him, all neatly typed in my favorite Georgian font. As I hit, "Save" the screen fades and says, "Microsoft Windows is not responding." Yup, that document... yeah, it's gone. Didn't even save itself to be recovered to make up for being so flaky.

We will see if I actually get to go on this trip after all!

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Off to Camp!

Today I am getting ready for my trip to Johnson & Johnson's Camp Baby. I am so thrilled to be included in this! I tend to get overlooked for a lot of mommy blogger stuff and I still haven't gotten to go to a BlogHer conference, so I am looking forward to meeting and making some new mommy friends. These "perks" are a dream come true for me. Seriously, sometimes I just shake my head and wonder how a small-town gal from Indiana gets included in these shindigs. I hope they won't figure out the error of their ways anytime soon!

If you want to hear all the details on my trip, you can read what we will be doing! I don't know what I am more excited about- meeting new moms to hang out with or meeting TED ALLEN and doing a wine tasting with him. Yeah, I am going to be the annoying girl with the camera so I will take lots of pictures to share when I get back!

PS- For those of you searching for spring cleaning stuff, I have been sick and am behind on making printables. When I get back, I promise to get some printables cranked out and we will get back on track!!

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Cute Jewelry Holder & Jewelry Cleaner Recipes

I like to keep a little dish by my sink to put my jewelry in while I am doing the dishes. I also love to thrift shop so I put my love for thrift and my little dish together and came up with this cute little idea.

I use a thrifted candle holder to put my jewels in. They look so pretty and, if the edge has a nice lip on it, it is a safe way to keep your jewels out of harms way. It also makes your jewelry a pretty display while you are scrubbing your little heart out and cursing your family for not helping you... or praying- whatever you happen to do while washing the dishes.

And, if you so choose, you could also be cleaning your jewelry while scrubbing your heart (as you curse your family or pray).

Here are two handy little recipes to keep tucked away for that special day!

Homemade Silver Jewelry Cleaner:

In a bowl, place strips of aluminum foil in and place your silver jewelry on top of them. Cover the silver with boiling water and then add three tablespoons of baking soda and soak for ten minutes. Mix remaining hot water and a drop of liquid soap into another glass bowl. Place your silver in the soapy water and wash. Rinse with clean water and polish dry your pieces with a soft cotton cloth. Please take care, some solutions that are great for some metals and stones may damage others.

(Side Note- I use this solution for cleaning all my silver jewelry and have never had any problems. This works like a dream!)

Homemade Gold Jewelry Cleaner:

Fill a small bowl with warm water and a drop of liquid dish soap. Allow this to soak for approximately ten minutes. Proceed to brush the pieces with an eyebrow brush (or a similar substation such as a toothbrush) while they are being soaked. Then you should transfer the gold jewelry to a strainer and then proceed to rinsing it off with warm water. Finish by drying with a soft cotton cloth.

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Who Is the Old Lady Now?

I have been having so much fun teaching Ethan some cool card games. Growing up, we had a deck of Old Maid cards that we played Old Maid with so I had no idea that you could play Old Maid with a regular old deck of cards.

This game is great for kids between 5-10, because it is easy to learn and to play. This game is more fun if you have 3-6 players, but you can play with two players (which is easier for smaller children and putting together matches).

Before you can begin, remove all of the Queens in the deck except for one. Shuffle and distribute the cards, one at a time and face down.

Each player looks at their hands and pulls out any two cards that match in rank. Each player lays his match face down in a pile beside him. If a player has three cards of the same number, one stays in his hand.

After matches are all sorted, fan out your cards for the other player to grab from. Keep taking turns and making matches. Since there is only one Queen, the Old Maid, no match can be made for her. At the end of the hand, the player left holding the Old Maid loses the game.

You could also pretend to cry, like Ethan demonstrates for our photo!

Want to switch the game up? How about making the Old Maid an Old Boy and using the Jack as your odd man out!

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