Decorating the Playroom

So, how do you hang your kids artwork? Since the boys go to "school" (daycare) now, we get several items a week...per child. I keep some and recycle most. But I probably should display it, right? What's your best display tip?

Land of Nod might be my newest obsession, but I found a ton of stuff I like in their newest catalog...

A Fine Art Clip, $4.95

Take back the fridge! Singular take on our popular Work of Art Clips
gets your kids' artwork off the fridge and up on the wall.
Feature a clothes pin back and hole for easy hanging. Set of 6 clips; wood construction.

Work of Art Clips, $12.95

Let's face it, your kids are budding Picassos. You need a proper way to display their art. Our colorful art clips come complete with string, keyhole for easy hanging and eight clothespin holders. Choose from five handmade motifs (Birds, Flowers, Hearts, Stars, Peppermint).

Article: Save Big This Summer

Good Housekeeping had an article in their July 2010 issue that I thought was really good. Not only does it give the tips on how to save, but I find some of the websites they referenced to be really valuable.

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/money/budget/summer-deals-3

Save Big This Summer by Leah Ingram

"Summer is a great time to take it easy, but — trust us — you do want to expend the energy it takes to read these smart tips to save money. These summer deals could save your family thousands:

1. Save on Keeping Your Cool
If you cringe before opening your summer utility bills, see if your local provider offers what's known as an AC conservation plan. For instance, Shakopee Public Utilities in Minnesota offers a free Smart Switch option, which saves users up to $30 on their electric bill for the summer months (June to September) by switching off their ACs automatically for 15 minutes at a time (a quick switch-installation visit by a licensed electrician is required).
Savings: $30

2. Upgrade Your Appliances
Another way you can save: If your fridge seems to be doing a halfhearted job of keeping the ice cream, well, iced, try the government's Cash for Appliances program. As part of the economic stimulus package, this extremely popular plan encourages Americans to replace old appliances with new, energy-efficient models by offering hundreds of dollars in rebates. Details vary by state; go to the U.S. Department of Energy's site energysavers.gov.
If you go for a big-ticket item — like replacing your home's antiquated heating system (now, before the cold weather comes, is a great time to make the swap) — you can receive up to $1,500 off your tax bill (you can find more information on the program at energystar.gov/taxcredits).
Savings: As much as $1,500

3. Trim Your Haircut Costs
Most of us have heard the myth that hair grows slightly faster in the summer, but don't let that lead you to more frequent (costlier) cuts. Instead, space out your and your kids' trips to the salon, and don't opt for a cut when a trim will do. For instance, at the Hair Cuttery, a chain of 900-plus salons, a woman's cut and blow-dry costs $19 to $23 and a kid's cut and blow-dry, $16 to $18; a bang trim, however, is a mere $5. If you can stretch the time out between appointments — say, from every two months to every three — by adding some fringe-snipping, you'll have more cash in your pocket. In a family like mine, with two daughters, the savings can really add up.
Savings: Up to $75 a year per family

4. Take Down Tech Fees
If you're in the market for a new laptop, summer is one of the best times to buy; the sale prices can be comparable to those offered on Black Friday. That news should please anyone who has a child heading off to college and in need of some hardware.
Also consider a new venue for savings, as Lindsay Barhold, 24, of Los Angeles, did when helping her parents research which computer to buy her college-bound brother. Barhold discovered nobetterdeal.com, which is akin to an online version of Marshalls. Stores send their products to NoBetterDeal when they can't sell them, or when the store doesn't put returns back on sale. Some items come in an "open box"; others are brand-new, as was the Dell laptop Barhold found that, at $350, was $250 cheaper than anything she'd seen. "We'd had a Dell before, so I was comfortable with that brand," says Barhold, who was further reassured by the site's return policy: cash back via PayPal, or a credit card refund.
Savings: $250 or more

5. Snip Back-to-School Expenses
By the time the cute clothes and myriad supplies are purchased, the typical American family has spent over $500 getting ready for the school year, reports the National Retail Federation. To trim your tab, try a shopping portal like ebates.com, which rewards you with money back. How it works: Start your online shopping at their portal, which links to hundreds of e-commerce sites (target.com, aeropostale.com, delias.com, and more); these sites pay Ebates a commission, part of which Ebates passes on to you — usually 10 to 15 percent off the purchase.
Savings: Up to $60

6. Minimize Your Kids' After-School Expenses
If your child is planning to play violin in the school orchestra, don't automatically sign up for the instrument-rental plan; buying could be a better bet. For instance, renting a violin or trumpet from Music & Arts, a national chain with 105-plus locations, typically costs $20 to $27 per month. Instead, look into buying a used instrument at a store like Music Go Round (musicgoround.com), where purchase prices usually equal one year of equipment rental (when we checked, violins and trumpets were available for $250 to $300). The savings grow the longer your child sticks with an instrument. And if your child doesn't want to continue? You can sell the instrument back for 50 percent of the purchase price.
Resale stores can be a real boon for parents of athletes, too: At Play It Again Sports (playitagainsports.com), a 357-store chain, you can find good-condition used sporting gear to outfit your kids, whether you need tae kwon do padding or a bigger bat and glove.
Savings: $100 or more

7. Go Where Replacements Are Free
It's one of parenthood's great mysteries how kids manage to break, split, or otherwise destroy what seemed like a perfectly good pair of jeans or a nice sturdy backpack. "I used to buy my son, Paul, backpacks at a local store for $45 a pop," only to find them broken within weeks, admits Tracy Ostwald Kowald, of Appleton, WI. When her son, now 18, wore through two backpacks in a single school year, Kowald decided to buy a better backpack: a pricey ($75) model from JanSport (jansport.com) that came with a guarantee. It paid off: First, Paul (who admits to being tough on his gear) broke the backpack's straps, and JanSport repaired them for free. When he busted the zipper, they sent a brand-new backpack, also for free. Kowald learned the important lesson that spending more on items from companies that stand behind their products can save you money in the long run. L.L.Bean and Lands' End offer similar return policies; last year, I returned to L.L.Bean two pairs of pants and a lunch box that my kids had trashed. The company replaced all for free, without a question.
Savings: $50 or more

8. Crunch College Costs
Purchasing new textbooks can take a bite out of any college budget, but there are new ways to save online. The rental site chegg.com will rent students a popular biology textbook for a semester for $49, versus the $186 to buy one new (bookrenter.com provides a similar service). You can also apply for a tax credit to get reimbursed for up to $2,500 in college tuition and expenses, including book costs, via the American Opportunity Tax Credit (textbookaid.org).
Savings: More than $2,500

9. Save More with Tax-Free Shopping
Jenny Realo of Phoenix, MD, says she shaved $100 off back-to-school spending for her three kids last year by shopping during tax-free days. At least fourteen states offer tax-free shopping on most back-to-school purchases this summer; visit taxadmin.org for details."

Brotherly (and sisterly) love - Heart Chart

From Kiwi Magazine, February/March 2010
Written by Traci Paige Johnson

This Valentine's Day (and throughout the year), jump-start sibling bonding by creating a "heart chart," which encourages kids to be kind to each other to earn rewards. At the end of each day, ask your kids these three questions:

* "Did you treat your brother (or sister) the way you would want to be treated?"
* "Did you use nice words to express yourself?"
* "Did you give your brother (or sister) a compliment or perform a good deed for him (or her) today?"

If the answer for every one is "yes," your kids earn a heart sticker on their calendar. Once they receive 10 hearts, they get to pick something special for you to do together as a family (see a movie, go bowling, get ice cream even though it's freezing outside - whatever they want). You can take this idea beyond siblings, too: See how nice your child can be to friends, classmates, even you! Kids will not only learn how to treat other people kindly, but they'll see how much more fun it is to be nice than it is to be mean.

Undercover Veggies - Part Two

To piggyback on today's earlier post regarding undercover veggies...Parents magazine featured these in their January 2010 issue:


"Eat Your Fries! Um, your veggies, that is. These frylike sticks from Peas of Mind (how cute is that?) are made with cauliflower, carrots, or broccoli mied with a little potato. Our kid testers polished them off with no coaxing; their texture and shape are right on the money. But if your child is skeptical, offer them with dip. Log on to peasofmind.com to find out where they're sold. ($4 per bag)"

Oh, and I did a search on their website - this is the only store that they are (currently) sold at in the St. Louis area: The Healthy Shopper 139 Concord PlazaSt. Louis, MO 63128 ph: 314.849.1050

Undercover Veggies

Melissa - this post if specifically for you. :)


The September 2009 issue of Parenting magazine featured ways of sneaking veggies into the child's diet. "These snacks all have one thing in common -- they're made of veggies. (But they're so yummy your kid might not notice.)"


Inside this snack round-up: Spinach noodles and red pepper crisps. Who knew pasta and crackers were prime opportunities to sneak veggies into your tot?


Podcasting
Green peas are transformed into airy crisps with a touch of salt. (Calbee Snack Salad Snapea Crisps, $2.98)


All Ears
For older tots, "crunch dried" corn kernels are gems best eaten by the handful, kinda like M&M's. (Sensible Foods Crunch Dried Sweet Corn, $1.89)


Bite Delight
Carrots, onions, and red peppers add a kick to these crisps. (Edward & Sons Brown Rice Snaps in Vegetable, $3.99)


Use Your Noodle
Would your kid ask for seconds of spinach? Didn't think so. But he might just polish off these spaghetti noodles fortified with it. [Insert evil mommy laugh here.] (De Cecco No. 12 Spaghetti with Spinach, $4.49)


Spin Doctor
Don't tell: The colors in this screwy pasta come from spinach and tomato. (De Cecco No. 34 Fusilli d'Italia, $3.99)


Just Beet It
Thinly slice a sweet beet or other root veggie, then bake at 400 degrees for around 40 minutes for homemade chips --they'll crisp up as they cool.


Salad Crisper
These chips pack a half serving of vegetables, with no force-feeding required. (Flat Earth Tangy Tomato Ranch Baked Veggie Crisps, $2.99)


Fruits with Roots
These new yogurts are a mix of fruits with a sweeter savory like carrot or sweet potato. (Horizon Organic Little Blends, $3.49 for four)

Happy New Year! Kid-Friendly Ideas

I saw these ideas in the January 2010 issue of Parents magazine:

Ticker-Tape Tubes
Glue a piece of tissue paper to one end of a toilet-paper roll and fill with confetti. Seal opposite end with tissue paper and glue a ribbon the paper's center. Pull the cord for a shower.

Top Hats
Fold clsasic paper hats and let the kids go wild with decorations. To keep the project organized, fill the cups of a muffin tin with fun materials like sequins, rhinestones, felt shapes, and paper scraps.

Freeze Frame
Make it a tradition to tkae a family portrait on New Year's Day. Create signs that spell out the digits of the year so that everyone is holding a number. Give an exclamation point to the fifth family member.

Sweet Treats
Prepare a chocolate fondue feast with cubed pound cake and lots of fruit for dipping. Then serve kids juice mixed with seltzer in plastic champagne flutes. Now that's a kiddy celebration worth toasting!

Recipe: Minty Milk

This was posted in the January 2010 issue of Parents. It looked so yummy that I had to share!

Minty Milk
Stir things up at snacktime by using leftover candy canes to create a calcium-packed drink that has about 25 fewer calories than chocolate milk. It's like a junior latte, minus the caffeine of course.

1 - Splash: Warm a cup of low-fat milk on medium for 5-10 minutes. Mix in a few drops of peppermint extract (find it in the spice aisle of the supermarket).

2 - Crush: Break a candy cane into a couple of small pieces and chop it on your cutting board with a sharp knife.

3 - Froth: Whisk milk in the blender for 2 minutes or use a frother. Pour into cups and top with crushed peppermint. Let kids stir it with a small candy cane. One dairy serving licked for the day!

Holiday Hints: Surviving Santa

These tips for Surviving Santa were printed in the December-January 2010 issue of Parenting magazine:

Do a dry run
Days before, give your child a glimpse of St. Nick from afar, says Amy Stone, onwer of Jady Images in Miami. "When you come back for the actual photo, he'll be more familiar with what to expect."

Carry Supplies
Snacks and toys are key. Hungry kids are likelier to act out.

Distract
"Put a piece of tape on your child's finger if he gets fidgety," says Marlboro, NJ, photog Jill Caren. "Sometimes that's distracting enough that he'll forget Santa's even there."

Present his requests
Tie up his wish list with a bow, and have him hand it over, suggests Heather Dillon, a Scottsdale, AZ, photog. "It places the attention on Santa, not on him."

Think narrative gold
As the Santa at Holiday World, a theme park in Santa Claus, IN, says: "Sometimes those unposed moments make the best photos."

-Michelle Hainer

Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition

I first heard of Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition when visiting our friends The Maxwell's last year. It seems like it is the "it thing" now in 2009 - I see and here of it everywhere. So in case you haven't been introduced, here is a note from the author:

From My Family to Yours,
This charming tradition began for our family when my children were very small. Like most children through the ages, they wanted to know how Santa really knew who was naughty or who was nice. Their answer, as in my own childhood, came in the form of a small pixie-elf.

The first time the elf arrived at our home, my children officially adopted him by giving him a name. Each year he would arrive around the holidays, usually at Thanksgiving. His sole responsibility was to watch the children's behavior and report it to Santa each night. The next morning after the children awoke, they discovered the elf had returned from the North Pole and was now resting in a new and different place. My children would race each other out of bed to try and be the first to spy him in his new position.

Over the years the tradition was perfected and rules were introduced. For example, to better preserve his mystique the children were not allowed to touch him but talking to him was a different matter all together. My children shared many secrets with the elf, and while he was under strict orders not to talk to them, the elf was under no such orders where grown-ups were concerned.

Unwittingly, the tradition provided an added benefit: it helped the children to better control themselves. All it took was a gentle reminder that the "elf is watching," for errant behavior to be modified.

I never dreamed this simple tradition would lead to so many treasured Christmas memories for our entire family. It is my earnest desire that The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition will bring as much joy to your family as it has to mine.

Enjoy this tradition, and MAKE IT YOUR OWN!

With my best wishes for you and those you love,
Carol



Most bookstores carry the gift set; I've also seen it advertised at the Catholic Supply, Hallmark, and other specialty shops. The gift set includes a stuffed elf and the book - which explains that the elf is watching for the best behavior. I've also seen that you can purchase just the book - so my friend Melissa found me an adorable elf at Catholic Supply (Item #521250; $8.95 each). (We have the one all the way to the right...)

A Letter from the North Pole

I've seen numerous resources for getting Santa letters...in an effort to compile:

"Google 'letter from Santa' and you'll find many sites selling customized letters. But few people know that the U.S. Post office can help too. Write a letter as if you were Santa Claus. Put it in a stamped envelope addressed to your child. Mail that by December 15 in a stamped, larger envelope to North Pole Holiday Cancellation, Postmaster, 4141 Postmark Dr., Anchorage, AK 99530-9998. Your letter will arrive with a "North Pole" postmark!"
- American Baby magazine, November 2009

Hooking on those sippy cups...

In the March 2008 issue of Parents magazine, a reader gave kudos to the Bottlelink. Basically, they are links to attach to a bottle/cup and then a chair, etc. so that they don't fall to the ground.

Connor is infamous for dropping his cups while in the van. And then they roll and I can't reach them while driving. I'd seen the Bottlelink, but haven't purchased them.

Here's my attempt at the same thing:
We already have the Inchbug Labels that wrap around the cups. See here for that post. I'm thinking I'm going to use those as well as the Bright Starts Lots of Links to connect the cups to the boys' car seats. Now, I know that the links come apart, so it's not fool-proof, but, it's materials I already have. Worth a shot.

A coworker mentioned these, which she has only found at Walgreen's. They are the No Throw straps; a 2-pack is $5.99. Might have to go buy those before our Thanksgiving travels...

Traveling With Kids Tips

As the holiday season is approaching, many of us will be traveling with our kids - and maybe it's your first time traveling with them.

Mike and I took the boys to see some of his family last March and we took them to the lake (once!) this summer. Traveling with infants is rough!

Here's an article I found in one of my magazine piles:
The Ultimate Guide to Traveling with Kids: Road Trips: Surviving the Ride

Making Toy-Purchasing Decisions...

This was written in the November 2008 issue of American Baby magazine:
"Spotlight: FatBrainToys.com: Mark and Karen Carson, Nebraskan parents of three, started this website (out of their garage!) to help parents make more informed toy-purchasing decisions. They pick toys carefully, write long descriptions, and post where toys are made. Tons of reviews round out the site."

I'm big on reading reviews before making a big purchase - off the top of my head, this year I've searched for a garmet rack, a sewing machine, a play kitchen (for the boys, of course!), etc. I don't want to buy something and then hate it...so I plan ahead.

I frequently read Amazon, but this website seems like it would also be helpful for kids' stuff. I checked it out - they don't appear to have reviews for everything on their site, and you can also purchase off the site. Wasn't exactly what I expected, but seems good!

Halloween Photo Album Idea

My friend Jessica shared this idea with us on our "baby board". She gave me permission to share it here.

A friend with grown-up children told me about this great idea! It's so simple, but I had not thought of doing this...just wanted to share with other moms...Happy Halloween! This is our first year to really "do" Halloween with Soren, so I'm just starting it now.

Today I started a Halloween photo album where we'll put our favorite pics of Soren (and any future kiddos) during the Halloween season every year. I am not good about scrapbooking, but this seems really manageable! I picked up a regular photo album at Michael's and some cute Halloween scrapbook stickers to decorate it. I also bought a few orange scrapbook pages to cut out some backgrounds for typing a little note each year. I'm going to go back and print out some of last year's pics from 3-month-old Soren, as well. I found an album (40% off) that has places for horizontal and vertical pictures.I just know that Soren is going to love looking back at these pictures each year. (And me, too!)

On a side-note, this could really be done for any holiday or birthday. Great job, Jessica! It looks fantastic!

Activities: Silly and Spooky Fall Fun

I tore this page out of the October 2009 issue of Parenting magazine. It has some cute ideas - especially if you have kids! Here's the article:

Play catch
On a windy day, have everyone try to catch leaves as they fall, calling out the color of the leaf before grabbing it. The person who can score five leaves first wins the game. (If it's not windy, have a grown-up throw leaves in the air; little ones will love helping with this job, too.)

Leaf through it
Before heading inside, collect a pile of colorful, newly fallen leaves (dry ones will crumble) for these classic crafts: Make a place mat by arranging leaves between two sheets of clear contact paper; use scissors to trim the edges. Create stamp art by applying water-based paint to the veined (back) side of a leaf and pressing it onto construction paper. Or place double-sided tape on the back of your finds and let toddlers stick them onto a window.

Try a scary snack
Sustain hungry goblins with creepy centipedes, made by sticking crunchy chow mein noodles on both sides of a string-cheese stick. For a sweet spider, insert four two-inch "legs" of thin licorice pieces into the sides of a cupcake. Add Red Hots or M&M's to the frosting for eyes.

Liven up meals
Food that stares back at you shouldn't be a once-a-year occasion. Sliced black olives can turn a mini-pizza into a jack-o'-lantern; smiley-face peas can perk up mashed potatoes.

Have a ball
Create festive bowling pins by painting ten empty one-liter soda or water bottles with orange poster paint. When they're dry, use black paint to add jack-o'-lantern faces. Then line them up, grab a ball, and let the game begin.

Feed the birds
Tie a long string or ribbon around a pinecone and then slather it with peanut butter. Roll it in seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin) and hang it up from a tree branch or clothesline. Watch the birds dig in!

StrollAway Stroller Hook

This was written in the January 2009 issue of Parents magazine:

"Out of Sight! Tired of tripping over all the baby gear in your home? The StrollAway is a mom-invented over-the-door stroller storage system that's perfect for families who are tight on space (and who isn't?). Slide the metal frame over a closet door, then hang your stroller from the hooks to get it off the floor and out of the way. Now why didn't we think of that? $50; metrotots.com"

What a great idea! I can see this being extremely helpful if you don't have a garage or a shed...
Seems like there must be other hooks available - some that might not cost so much. Organized Living? The Container Store?

Batteries - Part II

It never fails...we are almost always out of one or more kinds of batteries. And then I get to the store, and forget which one kind it is - but I almost always remember which toy it belongs to.

So, I made a list, and I carry that list in my wallet. On the list - the brand of the toy, the name of the toy, the type of battery, and how many of that battery.

(Note - also on that list are kinds of light bulbs, and which light in the house they belong to. Because that's something else I always forget.) :)

What kind of batteries does it need?

I read this tip in the January 2009 issue of Parents magazines - I always had the intention of following through on it, and even went so far as to make a list...


The tip: "Genius Reader Tip - Battery Trick: Using a Label Maker, create stickers to attach to any toys and gear that tells you what kind of batteries it requires."


I think it would also be beneficial to indicate on the sticker how many of that battery.


I have a Label Maker like this one, from Target for under $20:

Pampers Rewards Program

Did you know that their is a code on the inside of Pampers Diapers and Pampers Wipes? We are fond of the Pampers diapers, so I've accumulated lots of those codes. You can register on the Pampers website for their Gifts to Grow program, and then accumulate points to "purchase" stuff.

Also, there are occasionally Gifts to Grow codes on the web that anyone can put into their bank. Check out some of the blogs on my "Helpful Info Sites" for more information.

I've gotten books for the boys and a $25 Applebee's Gift Card - for free. Well worth it!
The often have Starbucks gift cards (though I'm not a coffee fan) as well as Shutterfly freebies in their Rewards Catalog.

Mudpuppy Money Banks

I love getting magazines - I see so many great ideas in them! But boy are they a waste of paper - it's frustrating...especially when 3/4 of the magazine is ads! But I like all the fun things that the magazaine-workers find.


American Baby had this in their April 2009 issue: Mudpuppy Money Banks
They are available from galison.com - but I just love the divided parts, so kids can learn to divy money up between Spend, Share, and Save. These cost $14, and there are several different designs for the buckets.


For all the crafty people out there...this could so easily be done! And I'm sure for cheaper. :)