Grilled Cheese Trick!

This is a great idea - no one loves to eat the ends (or butts as we call them) of the bread loaf...unless you are my mom - then you beg for the bread butts...but I found this nifty little trick you can use - and your children will not be the wiser - turn the bread inside out for grilled cheese scrumptious-ness....I have posted a link for pictures and instructions - the kids will never know!!

Inside out Grilled Cheese Sandwich!

Mom's Day Homeade Gift Idea - Day #3

This may be my favorite one yet...unless of course I love tomorrow's idea which is a very real possibility!
I love to carry canvas bags because I am one of those people that throws everything in a bag that I need for the day...papers, mail, perfume, snacks, magazines....everything in a big ol' bag. If you are like me - you may love this idea - maybe make it for Grandma, or have your hubby make one for you...nothing wrong with a little nudge in the right direction =)

Personalized Handprint Canvas Handbags Instructions!

Have fun...this one is quick but messy - still a great idea!!!

Catching up on Mom Tips...

I have been bad...need to catch up on Mom Tips from the last few days...

The first one I need to review is one of the best from last week - had a lot of people comment on the lemonade kool-aid in the dishwasher...if you want to clean your dishwasher, pour one packet of lemonade kool-aid in the soap holder of your empty dishwasher - and then let the dishwasher run thru it's cycles...it will clear all of the lime deposits and gunk out of your dishwasher

*Note* Lemonade Kool-Aid is the ONLY flavor that will work!!

Monday's Mom Tip: 

I am not sure if we have done this one before or not - but if you find yourself with coffee rings in your coffee cup, you can get rid of it by using a citrus peel (orange or lemon) . Put a little salt on the citrus peel and rub it on the coffee stains.  Wash the cup as usual and the stain will come right out!

Tuesday's Mom Tip: 

Keep your swimsuit from fading this summer!  Before you head into a chlorine filled pool, soak your suit in water (I know - totally not comfortable...but the water can be warm - and this totally works!) The water protects your suit from fading!

Wednesday's Mom Tip:

Keep Oil Splatters out of your kitchen!  When you make momma's fried chicken, do you have to tell the children to run for cover because there is oil splattering all over everything?  To end splatters for good...before you heat up your oil - put 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt in your pan with the oil - the salt will absorb the moisture (water) from the meat you are cooking and no more splatters!! 

The ABC's of Mom gift Idea...

Time for another Mother's Day Gift Idea! 

My kids are really into crafty things recently. They love "making books", coloring, and anything that involves glitter glue and a big mess!  If your kids are like mine, they might enjoy making the ABC's of Mom gift for Mom this Mother's Day. I thought it was super cute and left it out on the computer in hopes my husband might take the hint =)

Click here for details on the ABC's of Mom Book

Mother's Day Gift Ideas #1

I think I have heard my mom say it like 500 times..."Don't buy me anything...I just want something homemade!" - Sound familiar? 

If you are looking for an idea for a homemade gift for Mom, Grandmother...whomever - I have a bunch of ideas!!  

Today, is one I didn't think I would be able to do - etch glass? No way!!  but this is actually really easy - and moms LOVE IT!! 

Follow these easy steps if you want to make etched glass for Mom this Mother's Day.

Milestones Part #2

Ok - to be fair - I have to post a video of Jack riding his bike too!
It is grainy and kind of hard to see...but if he ever logs on here - i don't want him to have any doubts of how proud I am of him too....so you get both!!

Milestone for my Babies!

So they did it! Owen and Jack can ride their bikes with no training wheels...finally!!!
I didn't think that they would be able to do it but they did!! Here is proof from Owen's ride!!

Football Drafts Make Me Cry...

Now I know that you are thinking I cry because they are so boring but not true!!
I saw this human interest story that ESPN did on Michael Oher - a young man who was drafted in the top 10 of the first round over this past weekend.
After I heard a bit of his story I googled him and came upon this video and this more complete story.
Now I know this may not be what you want to do on a Monday or Tuesday - but trust me - this story has been on my mind for days now...so powerful - so I thought you might like to see it and read about it. If you do - let me know what you think - and if you cry...it's ok =)

Click here to read Michael's Story

Click here to see the short video clip

Are you wearing expired makeup?

I had this bottle of mascara...I love it - but it is almost 15 years old - which I think gives away the secret that I don't wear much makeup....ANYWHO...I was concerned that I may need to trash my trusty mascara tubed - so I looked it up online and sure enough - I should have thrown that puppy away about 14 years and 8 months ago =)
Here is the skinny on the makeup you are wearing and when it needs to be trashed!

Are you wearing makeup that’s expired? Here’s a list of expiration dates - beginning from the time you first open these products:

-Powders and shadows: 2 years

-Cream shad0ws: 12 to 18 months

-Foundation: 1 year

-Lipstick & lipliner: 1 year

-Mascara & eyeliners: 3 months

-Makeup brushes: Clean weekly using a mild detergent

-Makeup sponges: Replace weekly

I found it interesting...and rather embarrassing at the same time!

Happy Earth Day!
I was talking to a friend of mine and we were chatting about earth day. Our kids want to "turn out the lights" at a certain time of the evening...something that they saw on television so we were trying to get all the details.
She mentioned that her mom told her that when they were younger - they used to throw their garbage and fast food wrappers out the car window - just throw their trash out as they went down the highway...my how things have changed!! You see people throw their gum out the window nowadays and people gasp - different world I guess.
I do see the importance of taking care of the world we have been given...I think it is important to take care of the space we occupy to make it better for our children. I think this can be accomplished by starting in our own home - I mean - we can't change the world if we can't even take care of our living space - so I found this list of 40 things we can do to "go greener" .
I was surprised (and quite proud of myself actually) that I do a lot of these things already...so if you find that you have mastered this list - there are things on that list that you can click into to go even a little deeper...
Happy Earth Day - my kids thought they were getting a day off of school...you know to celebrate the earth - boy were they disappointed when I told them they got to help mommy recycle and plant and herb garden...=)

50 Side Businesses...

Happy Tuesday

I found this article recently and I got to thinkin' (that is always a scary statement when it comes out of my mouth...)

I have lots of friends that have side businesses. Some are stay at home moms, some work part time and so on.  The are taking their "passions" and turning them into extra cash for the family.

I have said before that I have always wanted to open a bakery.  It is a pipe dream now, but maybe someday. If you are looking to make a little extra cash - check this article out - I think it's cool!

MondayMorning Mom Tip!

Hi All!
How was the weekend? I got a TON done this weekend - which is rare for me...but I was in motivation mode and I got the whole house done with the exception of scrubbing the kitchen floor - couldn't bring myself to do that yet...Today I am renting a carpet cleaner and cleaning our carpets. I recently had a stain on the floor in our hallway and I used baking soda and it got the stain up BEAUTIFULLY! Only problem is, now I have this circle of clean carpet which is sticking out like a sore thumb...it almost looked better with the food stain!

Ok - on to the mom tip o the day!
Ever try to find the end of a big roll of packaging tape? It can be SO frustrating!! You get tape under your nails and you never get the tape up in one nice strip!
Well now you can!
Next time you use the packaging tape...place a toothpick underneath the tape and lay the tape back down to rest....when you need the tape again - just pick up the toothpick and the tape comes too...so easy!!

Have a great one!

Self Esteem with Mandisa

Happy Friday!
Hope you are doing well...
I saw this on the Today show recently and was inspired by her...thought you may like to watch it as well.
Self-esteem is something that I have always struggled with...maybe you have too. Watching Mandisa, it is not about the weight she lost (even though she looks great) it is about the journey she is on - and the realizations she has made - cool stuff!
Have a great weekend!

A Lego A Day...

I love this!
I love legos...until I step on them.
I also love the old school little people - you know the ones that are choking hazards nowadays, but they were just 2 bumps with heads...somebody should do the same thing with old school little people as this teacher did with lego people - so super sweet.
Check it out - I think you will get a laugh or two out of it - kids will like it too...mine did!
Have a great Friday!!

Your Age by Chocolate!

Thanks to Rebecca for sending this my way. It looks vaguely familiar, but it was accurate!
Here are the simple steps (if you have a calculator) to finding your age by chocolate!

1. Pick the # of times you would like to have chocolate per week (more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2
3. Add 5
4. Multiply that number by 50 (I will wait while you grab a calculator)
5. If you have already had your birthday this year - add 1759. If you have not had your birthday yet, add 1758
6. Now, subtract the 4 digit number that is the year you were born (1977 for me...yikes)
7. You should have a 3 digit number
8. The first number in that 3 digit number should be your original number - how many times per week you want chocolate...
9. The last 2 numbers should be your age!!!

Did it work?? Worked for me! - Only took a minute too...although I tried doing it without a calculator first, just my trusty college educated brain - I came up with a 5 digit number....but the second time - SUCCESS!!

Hot Dog Octopus - Kids Love Em!

So my son Owen says he wants Hot Dog Octopus for lunch...what?!? Sounds icky if you ask me, but his friend's mom made it for him for lunch and it was the BEST hot dog he ever had!!
So I googled it and found 6 easy steps to make Hot Dog Octopus...I am not crafty - but this is pretty easy so I gave in - didn't turn out half bad!
Need a quick lunch? Try Hot Dog Octopus...Owen says they're GREAT!

Hot Dog Octopus - 6 Easy Steps!

Mom Tips So Far this Week...

Look at me!! Slacking on the Mom Tips...
Ok - let's catch up!
It is Wednesday today - so here is what you may have missed.
All this week we are talking about household products that pull double duty...
Monday: Aluminum Foil as Paint Protector
Protect Doorknobs and harware in the kitchen and bathroom when you're painting by wrapping foild around them to catch dribbles. The foil molds to the shape of whatever it's covering and stays firmly in place until the job is complete.

Tuesday: Aluminum Foil for a Clear TV Signal
If your DVD player is stacked on top of the TV and the picture is fuzzy, the two electromagnetic fields may be commingling, confusing the signals. Slip a sheet of foil between the machines to separate the fields.

Wednesday: Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy
Remove tough food stains from plastic and light colored wooden cutting boards (and plastic boards too) Slice a lemon in half, squeeze the juice onto the soiled surface, rub and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with water - your board is now stain free and clean!

Whew!! Now we are caught up - Tip preview...tomorrow we talk used CD cases!

My Boys on You Tube!

I thought you might like to see this...It is a video of Jack and Owen on You Tube. They taped a "talk show" at Grandma's last year that was 8 minutes long...and kind of boring =)
My brother Tim shortened it and added some sound effects and the boys think they are rock stars now! If you have 1:43 seconds to spare - it is kind of entertaining...I love it - but I birthed them so I am kind of bias!! =)

Picture from the Past...

I found this picture last Friday and it is one of my FAVORITE pictures of Owen...
Owen is my youngest and when he was born he was in ICU for a few weeks with some breathing and heart problems. Owen has always been my cuddle bug. His brother Jack - you are lucky to get a kiss on the cheek - which is the way Jack has ALWAYS been - so I am ok with that...but I was praying I would get a cuddler too and I did. He is SO skinny that he could never be in a pool very long...so I would always wrap him up and keep him warm. This is our living room (just kidding - it is at some hotel in Illinois I think) right before my brother's wedding and I just love it - reminds me of my cuddle bug.

Spring Cleaning Challenge Revisited!

Hi there!

Hope you had a great weekend!
I took Friday off so I could visit family so I hope you had a great Easter!
Lots of people asking for the "spring cleaning de-clutter challenge" so I decided to post a link for you.

Spring Cleaning Challenge - All 5 days!

If you want to clean out the clutter - this is a great way to start and it is Monday - so hey - might as well start at the beginning of the week!
I'll be back with Mom Tips and a picture soon!!

Join me on Facebook!

If you are a member of facebook - please be my friend! I kind of feel like I am begging for friends...which I guess in a way is kind of true...feels like I am in 5th grade again.
I post a lot of family pictures and other personal info on facebook that I might not post on this blog - and rather than double up on my posting, I figured I would consolidate and have you join in on the facebook fun!

Now before I leave - a joke - this is an honest to goodness knock-knock joke my son Owen told me last night. Owen, like most 5 year olds, cannot grasp the concept of a knock knock joke - so you get this:

Owen: "Mom - knock knock"
Me: Who's there Owen
Owen: cardboard
Me *thinking: oh this is going to be good* but saying "cardboard who?"
Owen: cardboard is what your rice tastes like...

I laughed out loud at that. Yes, he was insulting my rice and salmon - but he was right - it tasted like cardboard.

Cooking with Peeps...is this real??

I was looking for a recipe to make smores with peeps...I feel like we have 50 bags of peeps in our house thanks to grandma and no one likes peeps (at least not in our house - i know that there are LOTS of families that feel the peeps love)...so I was trying to hide them in a recipe.
(I found one by the way...click here if you want a peeps/smores recipe)
In the meantime - I had a friend e-mail me and tell me I needed to google "cooking with peeps" and click on this link....which i did and wow.
I am not sure if it is a joke or not - but I sure got a laugh out of it - I never thought of putting peeps in my cornbread - but I just might now....gives a whole new meaning to rabbit stew I guess (ok that was a HORRIBLE joke - I could not think of anything else you make with rabbits)

Mom Tip Wednesday

If you have recently painted, you know that shopping for accessories to match your beautiful new living room can be difficult!
Today's mom tip makes it simple!
After you paint, take a swatch of paint with you and put it in your wallet or purse so that it is EASY to match your pillows and fabrics with the new color of your walls! How cool is that?!?!
I know this seems simple, but trust me, this is SO much easier than guessing...I have had to return MANY an item because I thought it would look great and in the end I was way off - today's mom tip could save you time and money!

Cadbury Creme Filled Cookies!

Cadbury Creme Filled Cookies and Muffins...oh my!
I found this recipe at one of my FAVORITE mom blogs "make and takes".
This recipe is for the cookies but I think I might like the Cadbury Creme Filled Cupcakes better, so I am including a link for those too!
Cadbury Creme Eggs are my fave Easter candy...though I will admit they are a little too sugary now that I am a bit older - so I love the fact that they have come out with mini-cadbury eggs. You can get them anywhere! That is what I would recommend for the cookies and muffins, but if you need the sugar rush - don't let me stand in your way!
Here is the recipe!

Recipe for Cadbury Creme Filled Cookies:

• Cake Mix Cookie Recipe
• Mini Cadbury Creme Eggs

You can use any flavor of cake mix for your cookies, mine is Devil’s Chocolate. Mix your Cake Mix Cookie recipe. Spoon a ball full of dough into your hand. Add a Cadbury Creme egg in the center and place it on a cookie sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven of 350* for 10-12 minutes, or until it’s cooked to your liking.

Want to try the muffins? Here is the recipe for that delicious treat - with thanks to the Beantown Baker Blog!!

Welcome to my blog!

Hi there!
I figured we needed a place "off the air" to connect on everything we talk about "on the air". This way if you miss a mom tip or a delicious recipe you just can't live without...you can find it here!
Plus, it is a good place for me to continue my thoughts because you know I love to talk!
Couple of rules:

1. I am not great at grammar - I type a little crazy so don't be alarmed...you will get used to it!
2. I am better at spelling - Grammar...average but Spelling...better
   
3. I want you to respond - COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT! The more we connect, the more we learn about each other!
   
4. I may not update everyday - scratch that - I WILL not update everyday...unless it is huge news, I take weekends for the family - but I will try to post every weekday =)
   

So there you have it! I look forward to talking with you here as well as on the air! Let the fun begin!