A Little...SUMMER FUN!

I am going crazy waiting for some warm temps.  We are all having major smell of sunscreen withdrawals around my house!  To make sure we make the most of our summer I always make a Summer To-Do List for our family. 

I like to organize mine by month and include fun local activities at the library, community center, church, movie theatres, etc.  I also included family specific activities like sports, weddings, reunions and visitors.

Ladybug Release Party at our community garden last summer

I make a final category of random things like go camping, look at the stars, go to the lake, or have a lemonade stand, you know, the things that really make summer THE BEST.


Swimming and Popsicles


I hang the list up in our kitchen, next to our calendar so I can easily keep track of what’s going on and so we don’t miss out on cool things to do!

Here are some examples from other moms:

eighteen25

whatever

Family Matters


What are your plans for summer?  And traditions you or your kids look forward to?

A Little Snack Time…Play With Your Food!

My 5 Year Old:  Mom, I’m HUNGRY!

Me:  Eat an apple.

My 5 Year Old:  I HATE APPLES.

Sound familiar?  For the record, he doesn’t hate apples, he gets bored with the same old snack routine.  He just doesn’t know how to tell me that yet!  So, here are a few ways that I like to revamp snack time so that it is totally awesome (and mostly healthy) and no longer LAME!

1.  Relax.  I never stress out about my kids eating habits.  One day they will be so hungry that I feel like I’m in the kitchen non-stop.  The next day they barely eat enough to keep a bird alive.  It’s fine.  They eat when they are hungry and with kids, sometimes they don’t really need much to maintain.  When you stress about food they will too and that can create a larger problem for them down the road in the form of an eating disorder, overeating, emotional eating, etc.  If you are ever really concerned with their appetite or lack of one, talk to your doctor to make sure everything is okay.

2.  Art/Fun.  My kids love when I put a spoonful of peanut butter in the center of a plate with apple slices all around it like a flower.  If I stick a carrot on my kids’ plates they will maybe eat it.  But if I give them tiny carrot circles with a toothpick for stabbing they get really excited!  It takes some extra work with cutting but my kids totally eat it up.  Pun intended!

Source: meetthedubiens.blogspot.com via Briton on Pinterest

3.  Lax Rules.  Let them blow bubbles in their milk.  Let them build a tower of crackers and cheese.  It’s just snack time.  Sometimes I’ll put my kids’ snack in a dog dish (specifically purchased for snacks, no dogs have used them) and let them eat like puppies.  Who needs manners?  We save them, and the silverware, for dinner time!

4.  Choices.  Raisins or Craisins?  Apples or Oranges?  Carrots or Celery?  Yogurt or String Cheese?  Chocolate Chip Cookie or Toast with Nutella?  If they choose it, they will be more apt to eat it!

I don’t do the artsy and fun stuff all the time, just every once in a while, to keep them guessing! 

What are some of your kids’ favorite snacks and/or how do you get them to eat up?

A Little Fitness...When You Can't Hit The Gym Hit Hulu

Personally, I like going to the gym.  I drop my kids off at the child watch and then I have some time to think straight...and in longer sentences.

But sometimes I don't want to go.  Oftentimes I suck it up and go anyways (I never regret it).  But on those days where all my workout clothes are in the laundry, or I feel totally gross, or I don't feel like putting my hiney on display as I jog on the treadmill, or whatever...I turn to Hulu.

Hulu.com has several free workouts in the health and fitness genre.  You can start small with quick 5-10 minute workouts, or you can find longer ones that give you a full workout.  There are tons of workouts to choose from so you don't get bored and they have yoga, martial arts, dance, etc. so you should be able to find something you love!  Click here to check them out.

Here's a tip:  If you have a newer t.v. and a laptop you can buy an HDMI cable that connects them.  That way, you can watch the classes on your t.v. instead of trying to workout in front of your computer.

A Little Food...Four Keeper Recipes!

This year one of my goals has been to get out of my recipe rut.  So I have been faithful over the last 12 weeks in making anywhere from one to four new recipes each week.  Some have been revolting, some so-so, but others have been great.  I thought I would share my four favorites in case you need a push out of your own same ol' same ol' routine!  Click the title for the full recipe if it isn't listed :)

Tortellini Gratinata with Mushrooms and Parsnip “Bechamel”

This recipes sounds like a doozy and it is has a lot going on so it takes awhile but it is WORTH IT!  It took about 2 hours start to finish, including baking and cooling time.  I was a little worried about the parsnip 'bechamel' because parsnips are so sweet and sometimes make a savory dish a little weird for me.  It ended up being great at cutting the strong flavors from the Gorgonzola.  (I used normal Gorgonzola instead of Gorgonzola Dolce because I'm normal and shop at regular grocery stores!)

Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps

This is really simple and you can throw it together in a few minutes if you have everything on hand.  I didn't measure, just started mixing and eyeballing it until is looked and tasted right!

Romaine Lettuce
Croutons, Cut in Half
Caesar Dressing
Bacon Bits
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Cooked, Cubed Chicken
Tortillas, Pitas or Wraps

Mix the lettuce through chicken in a bowl.  Spoon into tortillas, pitas or wraps.  Enjoy!

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars

MAKE THESE.  They are delicious.  I half-heartedly looked for fleur de sel (see recipe) but didn't see it so I just served these up with my sea salt grinder.  These are really good with that tiny bit of salt but also fine without it...the next day for breakfast. 

I did a water bath when I baked mine.  The recipe doesn't say to but I've heard it really helps with even baking.  I placed a large dish towel in a jelly roll pan, placed my unbaked cheesecake on it then slowly filled the jelly roll pan about half full with water.  Be careful not to get any water into your cheesecake.  I also rotated the pan several times while it baked.  Again, I've heard it helps with even baking so I figured, why not try it?  I baked it for 10 minutes, 1/2 turn, 10 minutes, 1/2 turn, 9 minutes, 1/2 turn, 9 minutes, done!  I didn't have a single crack and it was perfectly creamy.

Sticky Toffee Banana Pudding

My favorite thing about it is the toffee sauce.  It is perfectly caramelized and brown and buttery.  It would be heaven on vanilla ice cream...

Do you have any keepers you'd be willing to share?  Leave them in the comments!

A Little Beauty...Shaving

I hate shaving...it takes forever and a few days later, you have to do it again. 

BORING.  STUPID.  ANNOYING.

Then I discovered Skintimate Aromatherapy Moisturizing Shave Gel in Energizing Citrus.  It has such a zingy, "I want to be awake!" smell that makes me so happy to lather up.

Do you have any amazing shaving tools or products that turn this chore into a joy?

A Little Idea... Five Ways To Bring Your Vacation Home with You

Don’t you love the feeling of being on vacation?  I do.  I come home and think, “I wish I could always be on vacation!” 

Oh, work.  And oh yeah, school…lame!

Since we can’t always be on vacation, here are some ways I like to bring the care-free feeling of it into my ‘every-day-life’ back at home:

1.  Pick up a recipe or two from your favorite destinations.  When you come home, make them every once in a while.  Close your eyes and BOOM!  You’re back in Costa Rica, swinging through the cloud forest, eating Gallo Pinto and Pineapple Papaya Marmalade, or maybe that’s just me…

2.  Loosen up!  Vacation is all about chilling out, not stressing.  Try to do that more at home:  don’t over-schedule your kids or yourself.  Let the kids stay up late sometimes, let them have more than one Popsicle, go take a nap!

3.  Print off some pictures of your trip and put them in frames in your house.  That way you can see them every day and remember the awesome time you had.

4.  Listen to music that reminds you of your trip.  Before we met, my husband went on a huge cross-country “summer sales” road trip with several of his buddies.  All they had were each other and the car radio.  To this day, when he hears Jessica Simpson’s I Think I’m In Love with You, he gets the goofiest smile.  And maybe it makes him so happy he downloaded it on itunes...don't tell him I told you!

5.  Find fun things to do where you live, don’t just save up all your fun for trips.  Take your kids to museums, aquariums, on picnics, etc. the same way you would on vacation.  Start researching and you might be surprised to find a gem of a place you never knew about!

A Little Treat...Pretzel Rolos

I’m baking a ton lately.  You too?  Holiday treats for work, school, church, parties, neighbors… and I can't make just one thing, I have to offer a variety.  Enter Rolo Pretzels.  You can pop these babies in the oven while you are baking something else. 

I topped mine with holiday M & M’s but you can leave them plain or drizzle them with melted white chocolate.  You can also use different shaped pretzels…it will still taste like salty, chocolaty, caramely goodness!

Here’s how you make them:

1.       Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.

2.       Place pretzels on the paper.

3.       Top each pretzel with one unwrapped Rolo.

4.       Bake at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes.  You want them to just get soft.

5.       Top each Rolo with an M & M or whatever you want.

6.       Let cool.

7.       Chow down.  Or share.  Or hide them in your closet for when you need a break from company.

A Little Freebie... Gift Tag Templates

I will be the first to admit that I have written on my freshly wrapped Christmas gifts with a Sharpie because I forgot about gift tags…on several occasions.  So lame.  So trashy.

This year, I’m thinking ahead!  I found some great free gift tag templates so now all I have to do is print them, cut them out and stick ‘em on!  My gifts are going to look great this year!  Or at least like I tried…

{click the pics to download}

delight.com

lulu.com

sewmamasew.com

papercrave.com

marthastewart.com

Happy Holidays!

A Little Sanity... 5 Ways to Help Your Kids Fight Cabin Fever

1. Get out of the house each day.  Run errands, go play at a friend’s house, take a short walk, go to a museum, or go sledding…a simple change of scenery can make a big difference!

2. Get crafty.  Take advantage of the extra indoor time to bring out the artist in your little ones.  Stock up on paint, canvases, paper, glue, and markers.  When they get bored, pull out the supplies and let their imaginations run.  When I was younger I would spend hours making paper dolls with my mom and sister.  I didn’t ever play with them, but I loved designing their clothes!

3. Try some experiments.  I love the book Glues, Brews and Goos!  There are recipes for all kinds of fun and easy experiments for kids.  You can grow crystals or make your own non-Newtonian matter (the stuff that seems to be solid when it is still but it drips like a liquid when moving).  Or try your hand at cooking and baking.  Make things you normally wouldn’t, like homemade pasta noodles or bagels, just to see how they turn out.  You might find a few new skills yourself and your kids will love to help pour and stir!

4. Imaginative play.  Find some fun ways to play make believe inside the house.  Here are some our favorite inside games:

Dress up

Make a fort

Turn cardboard boxes into cars, airplanes, space ships

Pretend a closet is a secret hideout

Play ‘house’

Or, take advantage of a box full of packing peanuts...

5. Exercise!  Kids need to burn off energy and that can be much harder in the winter months.  Think about how much they unknowingly exercise in the summer- my kids ride their bikes and scooter everywhere, we swim at the pool several days a week, we go on family walks around the neighborhood, and they play outside with friends for hours.  In the winter, we don’t do any of that.  Here are a few ideas to get your kids moving so they can burn off all that extra energy and stay healthy:

Kid’s exercise DVD’s- check your local library for these.  Let your kids pick what they want to try: yoga, martial arts, aerobics, etc.  They’ll be more inclined to do it if they choose it.

Turn exercise into a game.  We have races up and down the stairs when we start to feel ‘crazy.’  Or we crab walk from one room to another.  Measure how high your kids can jump by putting a piece of masking or painters tape on the wall.  Have them jump and try to touch it.  Keep putting the tape higher and they will keep jumping to touch it! 

Have a DANCE PARTY! 

How do you keep your kids from ‘bouncing off the walls’ during the winter?

A Little Freebie...Halloween Decorations

I love to decorate for Halloween.  Something about the blood and cobwebs that just speaks to me...

Back before I had kids I thought it was a really great idea to buy highly breakable Halloween decorations:  spooky votive holders, ceramic jack-o-lanterns, even a glass cookie platter.  It didn't take long (Um, baby numero uno's first Halloween) to realize the error of my ways.  He is a boy.  A dirty, destructive, always into something boy.  You might ask, "How do you deal?"  I'll tell you.

Paper.

Easy huh?!  Let me elaborate.  I love free templates for the following reasons:

-They are FREE.
-They are easy to obtain.  Click print.  Boom.  You're in business.
-My kids can help.
-I don't turn into the Incredible Hulk (although it is slightly appropriate being Halloween and all) when the paper decorations get played with "too hard."

Here are some fabulously freaky finds to help you save your money (and maybe a little sanity) this Halloween...but do me a favor, will ya?  Take your savings and splurge a little on your candy this year.  Peanut Butter Taffy should not even exist.

Check out Country Living for these, among others:

And Martha, duh.  Would anyone else use the word, "unsavory" to describe paper mice?  Nope.  Describe them how you want, I choose awesome.

And click over to Matthew Mead for these.  Be sure to browse around the site fore some other, non-template, ideas!

By now you probably have a list a mile long of ways to use these templates (share them please!) but first, let me tell you how we spook out our house!

-Place a dark colored creature on white paper and frame it.
-Partially cover our family photos with tiny little creepers.
-Dangle them from the ceilings.
-Attach them to mirrors.
-Put large black cutouts in windows.
-Tape them anywhere my kids deem worthy, including the carpet :)

Happy Halloween Decorating!