Save Big Bucks For Shoes With Homemade Detergent

It seems I have been on a roll with saving some green-and being green. It hit me last night that I am slowly becoming one of those "hippie" people I knew back in college that would make their own deodorant with incense.

I promise I don' smell bad-and I don't make my own deodorant-but I do cloth diaper and tested out this homemade detergent on them. I found the homemade detergent didn't leave a strong scent like Tide will; however, it did get everything clean and leave a light Irish Spring scent, because Irish Spring was the soap I used in the recipe.

If you try it out let me know how it goes and what you think, or if you come up with any variations. The next batch I make I'm going to try adding in some oil essence to see if I can mimic the lavender smell I love from Tide.

So, without further ado, here I am making detergent:

First, shred up a bar of soap. I used the food grater. This part was pretty fun to do.
Then, melt the shredded soap in 4 cups of water-get the water about to boil, then dump the soap in. Stir until it is melted-this didn't take long and made the whole house smell yummy clean. After it is melted, add the soap/water mixture to 3 gallons of hot tap water and stir well. I used a 5 gallon mop bucket I had around the house and a cooking spatula.


Then take one cup of Borax and one cup f Washing Soda (NOT Backing Soda). And those boxes are huge. Remember 6 bucks for the soap and boxes of Borax and Washing Soda-and I only used a cup of each-just THINK of how much detergent I can make with this initial investment....
Add the Borax and Washing Soda to your bucket of warm water that you already added the melted soap to.
Stir well until you see it starting to get a little thicker. It only took a few minutes to stir, then I kinda messed with it throughout the day with a stir here and there to check on the thickness (though you don't have to, I just did). The slime you just made has to "bake" for 24 hours before it becomes a gelatinous goo great for washing poopy diapers and other dirty clothes.

You can used whatever soap you want, I used Irish Spring because I liked the smell. You could also use powder soap, just melt it the same in the water. Depending on the powder though, see what the ratio would be for a bar of soap, as that will determine how much you melt.

I used 1 cup of the mix to wash my diapers and that seemed to be perfect. To make sure you don't have too much soap, just check on your suds during the wash cycle-you don't want to see more than a few scattered bubbles in your washer. If you see a ton of bubbles, then you need to cut back on the amount of soap you put in per load.

Here is the link I got my recipe from: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/how-to-make-your-own-laundry-detergent-and-save-big-money/

I had a few friends mention just putting this mixture into old laundry bottles or getting a bucket with a lid from Home Depot or Lowes-I think they sell the 5 gallon ones for a few dollars.

Happy Laundry Detergent Making!! And perhaps, with the money use crafty mommy's (or daddy's) save, we can justify a shopping spree for ourselves! I'm pretty sure I need some new shoes or some kind of cute accessory, don't you think?


**Posted at Works For Me Wednesday, for more great tips, check out We Are THAT Family**

Fourth Of July Kid Safe Activity

I LOVE the 4th of July, and back when I taught preschool on of my fellow teachers shared this activity with me. I don't know who came up with it or where it is from, but it is SO FUN and great I just had to share it. Little Dude is amazed every time we do it. And you can do it any time of the year with different colors, like red and green at Christmas, or red and purple at Valentine's-you get the idea. I really enjoy watching it, too, because the experiment is just so very fun! It actually looks like magic.

So, without further ado, here is what you need:

* Large, tall clear jar filled with water, the more the better!
* Blue, red and yellow liquid food coloring
* 2 or 3 tablespoons cooking oil
* Smaller jar
* Spoon or stir stick for mixing
* Clear Pyrex measuring cup

What you and your kids do:

1. Fill the jar with tap water. Place it on a table where your child can watch it from several angles. If your child is older, they could even do this step.

2. Invite your child to pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a clear Pyrex measuring cup-your kids will have a blast, and honestly, they can't put too much in. Just make sure you have at least 2 tablespoons, less and it won't work with that much water.

3. Next have your child put in drops of each food coloring into the oil, about 5 drops of each color.

4. Have your child pour the oil into the jar all at once. At first, the oil will be spread around in globules, but keep watching: right before your eyes, the oil and food coloring will first float to the top, and then the globs will “find” one another and come together. SO COOL!

5. Now the “fireworks” begin! The food coloring will begin to separate from the oil and move back into the water, in long streams of each of the three colors. The colors will separate from one another as if they never mixed in the first place, and stream through the water in the three original colors that you began with; it is REALLY amazing!

Make A Bird Feeder

I love hands on activities for kids, and I was so lucky to work in a fabulous day care where we did all kinds of creative, fun, learning activities with the children. So, I have been excited to start doing a lot of the ones I especially enjoyed with my own children. This one is easy, simple, and environment AND budget friendly since everything is edible or out of the yard. Without further ado, here is how to make a bird feeder with your little ones:




Now that spring is here, I hope you guys have lots of fun with this activity; it can be done outside or inside and has minimal mess involved. Also, find a great place near some of your windows, if possible, to hang the feeder, then you can enjoy watching the birds with your child! This activity can also be a more involved learning activity for older kids, as you point out different kinds of birds, their colors, what kinds of homes they make-you can take this as far as your child shows interest and even make a great homeschooling lesson on birds out of it. Super fun, super easy, and that is what Works For Me Wednesday! Check out We Are THAT Family for more great tips!!

Not Upon This Potty

Little Dude is doing great peeing in the potty! Whoo hoo! After a few times of him taking his diaper off and showing he didn't like to be wet, we decided to go ahead and train him with big boy under ware. Though we are still having some trouble with his poop, we have gotten him to go every other day now, and he is doing his poop in the potty too! WHOO HOO!

But, remember that potty I bought? Well it stinks. I bought this "Summer Infant Potty":



It is from Babies R Us, and it is just not working. The seat "hole" is way too small, and Little Dude has to sit way back on the seat to keep his pee from going everywhere. But then he can't poop and get it in the "hole", so he has to sit way forward. The little boy "shield" came off after the first few times of using it because instead of being a solid piece, it is a flimsy, thing that is supposed to "slide" into place, but after a few times of getting knocked off by Little Dude, it now is bent out of shape and wont stay on the potty.

I thought the toilet paper thing would be cute, but it is a horrible idea too: All he wants to do is unroll the toilet paper. I had put some disposable wipes in the wipe case so he could do that himself, but those too end up getting grabbed in handfuls and thrown in his seat. And the last thing I feel like adding to the whole potty training routine is a fight over leaving the TP alone. Potty Training should be as fun and stress free as possible, right? Overall, much better if I just keep the wipes and TP next to me, and hand it to him as he needs it.

Also, it is advertised as being a step stool as well, but I have not figured that out yet-the lid is way too flimsy to stand on, and if you take the lid off there is no place to stand...so I don't know.

In any case, we are going out today to pick out a very simple, no whistles potty with a large seat and "hole" area. And then we will get a step stool too.

And this potty? I don't really know what to do with it-maybe donate it to church or give it to my neighbor here.

It might work for others, but it didn't work for me. Check out Kristen over at We Are That Family for other great Works for me (or in this case doesn't) Wednesdays!

Happy Lent

Today is the start of Lent, and this year I am going to do something different: I am planning on reading part of the bible every night. For valentine's I got my husband and I a Marriage Bible, that has notes and reflections on the passages as they relate to your marriage. I also got us a good Catholic family bible and a book of Parables to go over together.

I haven't been a Christian for long (I was baptised right before Bill and I got married) and I really want to study together as a family and make reading the bible (even though Catholics are notorious for not reading the Bible)a part of our daily lives.

My dream is to have family reading time, at least once a week, even when the boys get bigger. How great would it be to have us all reading together in the living room at night before bed? Ahhh, I can hope.

Anyways, this Lent, I am going to read some of the Bible every night with my hubby AND I am going to get my Friday meat free meals a bit up a re-vamp.

How? This is what is working for me this Wed. and all of Lent.

www.foodnetwork.com and www.kraftfoodandfamily.com

You can search for recipes by ingredients you have,or don't want, like meatless!

So, this Lent, I am going to be visiting these websites a lot so we don't get tired of going meatless AND so we can have healthy, protein packed meals that I wouldn't otherwise know how to make.

What are some of you giving up or adding in your dainly lives for the next 40 days?

Edible Paint

Well, in honor of Shannon's last

Works For Me Wendsday

, I will share a fun, edible, go-to rainy day activity. This was great fun to make in my preschool class, and I am sure your children will love it as well. In a pinch, you can go from being stuck inside and bored to busy and happy around the kitchen table! This homemade paint recipe is safe to eat, easy to clean up, and fun to make with your kids!

Condensed-Milk Paint

you'll need:
bowls (1 for each color you want to make)
1 cup condensed milk per color you're making
food coloring

In bowl, mix 1 cup condensed milk with many drops of food coloring to make a very bright, glossy paint. This paint is not intended to be eaten, but it won't hurt your kid if they do eat it, which is fabulous! You can store leftover paint in the fridge, or just toss down the drain. This paint is great on paper, but not as great on poster board.

To clean up, just use a soapy rag or sponge, just like you would after lunch time. Depending on the food coloring you use, it might stain clothes, so either wear old clothes, a smock, or add a little dish soap to the paint so it will wash out of clothes easily. (But note if you do add the soap it is not longer edible)

Enjoy!! Next week

Works For Me Wednesday

will be moving to Kristen's, so stay up on all the great tips out there by checking her out next Wed!

Organizing the Chaos

What works for me this week?

Organization. Oh yes, I am a huge organizing junkie. I function so much better when I am able to organize and keep up with everything, be it or Dakno, my kids, my blog, or household things, like dishes and laundry....

So how do I try to stay organized? I carry a calendar around with me everywhere. Every January, I invest in a good, sturdy small notebook size calendar that fits great into my bag of miracles, aka the diaper bag, so I am able to write down things as they come up right away. And when I get home, I copy them all to my big wall calendar in the kitchen.

Also, I have a huge wipe board in my office, so I can make weekly and monthly lists of projects and deadlines coming up (often reflecting items written on the other two calendars, yes I need reminding.) Such as:

Century 21 project due Dec. 13th
Team Mom review due Dec. 15th
upload JR video to Newbaby.com sometime next week.
ongoing work projects: blogs optimizations, retainer reports
Playdate with Mia this Friday
Pick up Bill at Airport 9pm Friday
Clean out car-someday

So for this week, I realize I have to get on the Century 21 project,and I am reminded of a review in a few weeks and my on going tasks at work. As I finish off items, I simply erase them from my board. Each Sunday I go back over it and make a new list or re write it so I stay on top of everything.

So, each day, at a glance, I can see what is coming up and plan my work hours around other things and see what items I would like to get done in whatever free time I find myself having. (Like cleaning the car out....not a time sensitive project, but still needs to be done before new life forms start to develop....)

And so, that is What Works For Me! Check out Rocks in my Dryer for more great tips!

Also, check out my Miche Reviews for a few new items that have also Worked For Me!

Online Shopping

What is working for me right now? Two words: ONLINE SHOPPING. Oh yea, baby!

Normally I am a marathon shopper; my mother in law and I even pack water and snacks for when we are out hunting, er, shopping, for deals.

But with a two year old and a 5 month old, going out and nursing, changing diapers, stopping tantrums, keeping up with the gift list (I have made 4 already because I keep losing them), and shopping in the crowded stores right now is just not my cup of tea.

So, this year, I have done almost all my shopping online and I have LOVED IT. Here are the major places I have shopped from:

Amazon.com
Mom4Life
One Step Ahead
Best Buy
Overstock.com
Walmart

Amazon is great because you can find cheap used items Like all the library books my son is in love with and hates having to turn in, I got for anywhere from 50 cents to a few dollars plus cheap shipping. And I don't have to worry if he tears a page or colors them up-which I know will happen at some point since he is 2-awesome. So, overall, I got a few hundred dollars worth of kid books for the boys for less than $40. OH YEA.

Mom4Life is great for anyone on your list that is a parent, grandparent,or parent to be. They have EVERYTHING you could possibly think of to make your baby outings awesome, organized and stylish for both moms AND dads. The girls at Mom4Life are also AMAZING. They have such great customer service. I have spent so much time on the phone talking with them all I almost feel like I know them personally. Being able to ask them questions and get details on items helped to bridge the gap between real life shopping (and being able to touch and see an item before buying)and online shopping. Also, Heather and Angela have spent time helping me find items to fit my needs! Even if it was not sold at their store, they directed me to sites where I could buy it. That is what I call customer service!! And they have free shipping-AWESOME. Also, if you sign up for their newsletter you will get 5% off your purchase! Whoo hoo!

Overstock.com is good, but check on other sites, like Best Buy, Target or Walmart to make sure you are getting a good deal. A few things I found where GREAT deals, others were actually more expensive when you realize the shipping charges. So, just compare.

One Step Ahead has some super cute and great toys for kids that are all VERY well made and safe (no lead paint or other such fun products) but beware they are on the pricey side. I did splurge and ordered a stacking toy for JR from there. It is on sale and it is three stacking toys in one, so it is well worth the price. HERE IS A CODE TO HELP WITH YOUR SHOPPING: BDAYDCMR Enter the code at check out for 15% off!

Walmart is AWESOME because you have the option of having it shipped to your door OR having it shipped for free to the store. It is already paid for, so it is just a quick in and out. The manager at our new one here in Garner even told me if I call ahead next time they can bring the boxes out to my car so I don't have to even get the kids out. OH TOTALLY IN LOVE!

Best Buy-where I usually shop for the electronic and movie junkies in my family.

The biggest thing I have loved about online shopping? It comes to my door! So, everyday for the past week has been like a mini Christmas for me, because I get to open the boxes and check out the items before wrapping them for other people! Super fun! Also, with the ease and quickness of online shopping, I am almost done getting gifts! I have two more gifts to get, unless I run across something else that just hits me as something someone would love.

I love having lots of gifts wrapped under the tree all ready to be handed out; it just makes the tree look so complete and happy to me. And it is a great feeling to NOT feel rushed at all-this has actually been the most relaxing Christmas shopping I have ever done. I think this will be the way to go from here on out.

Though I will still need to get to the mall with my mother in law for some "retail therapy", it will just be after the Christmas crowds are gone.

Washable Poster Paint

Since I have two little kids that get up at the crack of dawn AND I stayed up all night trying to get caught up at work, I am re-sharing (is that a word? My brain stopped working around midnight...) one of my favorite WFMW suggestions. Enjoy!



It is another Works for Me Wednesday! Yay!

As you may not know, I have been a daycare provider for babies-toddlers and preschool ages 4-5, so I have a few tricks up my sleeves to share! Here is one of my favoirite, cost effecitive, easy clean, paint recipes:

Detergent Poster Paint

You will need:
small jars or plastic containers
1 tablespoon clear liquid detergent per container
2 teaspoons powdered tempera paint per container

In each small container, mix together 1 tablespoon liquid detergent and 2 teaspoons powered tempera paint. This recipe makes enough for one painting session.

For even every young toddlers and older babies (those that can sit up), this recipe is great AND EASY TO WASH OUT OF CLOTHES!!! Children usually love feeling different textures, and the intorduction to new textures is a GREAT sensory learning experience for kids of all ages.

I would undress the younger kids down to diapers, and the older kids I would request the day before that they being some old clothes to school along with wearing one of my kid oil cloth aprons while painting to keep the clean up as easy as possible. However, it never failed someone would get paint on someone else, on me, or the carpet.

This recipe has always been super easy for me to get out of my clothes, even after drying and staining all day long at the preschool before I could even think about washing it out. FANTASTIC! Also it is great because you can just make the amount you need, instead of storing jars and jars of different colors of wet paint just waiting to dry out or tip over.

The Tempera paint and some really great, sturdy paint jars you can get at Michaels Crafts and though the jars are a little pricey, for the fact they are so hard to knock over and stackable, they are well worth the extra money. Besides, you will save a lot buying the tempera powder colors as apposed to getting new Crayola paint all the time.

Keep in mind the age of your child, younger ones need thicker paint and brushes, and you can thicken this recipe up by adding a little cornstarch (melt it in some hot water first, like you would for gravy, and then, of course, don't let you kid paint until it has cooled).

Not all kids love sensory experiences, like painting, the first time (or even five) that they try it. However, keep trying, and perhaps, if you have been undressing the child for the painting session, try keeping old clothes on, or even just putting one of your husbands old t shirts over him/her because part of what may be upsetting your child is being cold. If your child still doesn't like it, keep trying to make it fun by getting in there and painting yourself, but certainly don't make your child do the project if they are super upset, just put it away for another day and try again, or move on to another sensory activity, like playing in a sensory box.

Well, that is what Works for Me! Head on over to Rocks in my Dryer for other great tips!

Some of My Favorite Things...

So this is a special themed Works For Me Wednseday: Toys That Worked For You!

Here is a few of the items that make my list:

The Amazing Animals Sing N Go Choo Choo This is a toy my 2 year old STILL loves to play with and there are enough different songs and sounds that after over a year of owning it, I am still not tired of it. Also, there is an Off switch, for if you do!

For Little Babies, any stackable or nesting toys are fabuloust, like this or this. I love the bright colors on both of these, and the fact they are soft, safe to chew on AND with the great animal theme you can work on animal noises, names, where they live, how they act, etc-all interactive play with your baby that he/she will love. Also, the stackable/nesting type toys are some that even older kids enjoy doing, so these toys last a good long while.

For older babies and kids (around ages 1 and up ) I LOVE play kitchens!! I actually got mine really cheap ($10) off Craigslist.com, but this one here is a nice, affordable one if you are looking for something new for a holiday present, or if you are planing on having a lot of children use it, it is a good sturdy, long lasting choice because it can adjust for your kids! I also love to get cheap kitchen items, like measuring cups, spoons, what not at Dollar Trees, or any kind of discount dollar store-you can find all kinds of great stuff along with play food all for a dollar. I also reuse stuff from my kitchen (which is what Little Dude want's to play with anyway) by taping the lids on cereal boxes, or saving old plastic salt and pepper shakers so he can have them to play with in his play kitchen. Trust me, he loves the real ones (and he knows the difference!) to the really fake looking kid kitchen items you can find and they are free when you just recycle your own!

I love any toys that foster imagination with minimal lights and sound, so simple drawing and coloring are my fav. go to items. Doodle Pro is a great drawing toy for travel and even just when you are out of blank paper and there are so many kinds now! We have the orange one and Little Dude can play with it forever-it saved us on our drive to Mobile AL!

Well, those are a few of the toy items that have really worked for me and have been worth every penny I spent(or even more if I found great deals!)to have for my kids. No need to buy the latest, greatest, most expensive electronic toy, because nothing beats a great toy that inspires imagination, because that, I think, is the greatest way a kid can learn.

Now go check out Rocks In My Dryer for more great toy recommendations!

Quick Foods Works For Me!

Well, I have gone down the route of making everything for Little Dude from scratch-baby food, snacks, chopping, pureeing, smashing, and cooking-all the while making sure my child was getting good nutrition.

I'm slightly embarrassed to say I am not doing all the "from scratch" type cooking now that I have two kids. Simply getting everyone ready for a trip to the park can become an extreme sport, getting the toddler to keep his shoes on, dodging the baby spit so there is not yet another shirt change...it all takes tons of time all day, which is crazy fun, but also doesn't leave much time for cooking "from scratch". So, I have a few secrets up my sleeves now.

First off, I subscribe to Kraft Food and Family magazine-it is FREE! And full of great, QUICK meals loaded with nutrition and "sorta" homemade with lots of pre-made shortcuts. Perfect for me or anyone with a busy schedule!

Second, I use quick and easy snacks for my son that still offer great nutrition but don't take all my time to fix (then I have the time to play with JR!) One of my favorite go to items for snack time is Yoplait Kids Cup Yogurt-they come in great flavors Little Dude loves, but packed with extra vitamins and minerals to help little kids grow! They are also a GREAT source of calcium and vitamin D, which is fantastic when you kid doesn't like to drink milk very often!

Third, I cook with my crock pot all the time. I throw stuff in it in the morning, while Little Dude eats breakfast or right after I nurse JR, and then it is done by dinner, no more thoughts needed for it. My favorite recipe I got from our friends Mike and Beth:

In a Crockpot put
Thawed Chicken- 1 lb (preferably de-boned, but as long as it is thawed it is fine-also, this amount feeds Bill, Little Dude, and me with some left over)
1 16 oz can of salsa-whatever kind you prefer, I like Medium Pace
1 can of corn
Add salt and pepper to taste

Let cook (with lid on)on high for about 4 hours, or until the chicken is done. Then simply keep on warm until ready to eat.

I serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and guacamole all placed on a bed of rice. The rice I make according to package directions, usually 2 cups water to 1 cup rice, bring water to boil then add rice and turn to simmer with lid on for about 30 min. you could also mix it up by chopping up the chicken before or after cooking, and put all the items in a tortilla roll. It is super yummy, full of nutrients and no worries at all with cooking. You can also make it super healthy by getting rid of the chicken skin,fat, using lowfat sour cream and cheese and using whole grain rice or wheat tortillas.

Last, I also really enjoy anything that is quick in the oven. For fun "date time" with my husband after the kids on in bed, I LOVE to cook Pillsbury Savorings Flaky Pastry Bites. They come in different flavors, my favorite being Cheese and Spinach, and they are a great combo with a nice glass of wine-perfect for my husband and I to have some quiet and fun down time without the cost of going out!


So, those are my quick food ideas and secrets that I use. I hope the suggestions help you out with ideas! Also, if you would like to get some coupons to try one package of Pillsbury Savorings along with a "Savoring the Moment" giftbag or One package of Yoplait Kid's Yogurt along with a fun cooler tote (every mom needs a good one!), then leave a comment on my Miche Reviews page with your contact info or email me with your mailing address at coordinatedchaos@yahoo.com and say which one you would like to try the most; 3 winners for each item at random. Also, make sure you stop by Rocks In My Dryer for more fantastic Works For Me Wednesday Tips!

Shaving Cream Finger Paint

This is a repost of one of my favorite toddler/children activities. Little Dude just loves it and spent hours yesterday playing with the shaving cream, coloring, and just having a blast! Here is how to do it:



It is another Works For Me Wednesday hosted by Rocks In My Dryer! This time around I will share a fun fingerpainting alternative for preschool aged children (or children that are no longer trying to eat every new thing they see).

Shaving Cream Fingerpaint

I wouldn't advise this activity for children with sensitive skin or those prone to licking their fingers! If you like, substitute whipped cream or instant pudding if you are worried about the kids trying a taste.

Take:
Shaving Cream
Food Coloring or Tempera Paint

Squirt some shaving cream (or whatever you decide to use) onto a table top, highchair tray or piece of paper. Add a few drops of food coloring or sprinkle a bit of powdered tempera paint for instant fingerpaint fun!

Also, this is a great way to introduce letters and numbers to those of you with children 3 or 4 and up. You can put the shaving cream on the paper, spread it out, and show your kids out to spell out their names, initials or count up members of the family by using their fingers as "pens" in the cream. This is great for kids that are ready to move to learning letters and numbers, but just not quite at the motor skill level to hold a pen, crayon or chalk very well yet.

And this is a great way to make learning fun-just as it should be, esp for young children! This is also a FANTASTIC activity for a rainy day or to even do in the bathtub, with or without water. Just put the shaving cream on the tile walls and let the kids go to town. (watch the dye if you have white grout, as it might stain, you may prefer to just use plain shaving cream or pudding in the tub.)

All my preschoolers loved writing in the shaving cream and picking out the colors they wanted the cream to be, and it is also a great way to show how primary colors, when mixed, can create dozens of other colors!

Well, I hope you all have fun with this project!

Works For Me-In Home Grocery Store

My Little Dude LOVES his play kitchen. I got it used for really cheap, along with a few play food items. However, as great as the play food is, Little Dude knows that pineapples (or whatever it is) aren't really green and crazy small. So, I have a throw back on one of my old preschool activities that keeps him super happy and super busy cooking in his kitchen:

A Home Made Grocery Store great for ages walking and up.

What you need:
Paper bag or bags or baskets for each child
Empty food boxes and containers

Save up empty food boxes and containers. Pudding or Jello boxes work well, as do cereal boxes, small yogurt containers, empty vitamin bottles, empty spice containers, granola bar boxes, -ANYTHING from your kitchen you can wash out, and is not a chocking or suffocation hazard (like plastic bags-NO plastic bags). You can store you "groceries" in a box or laundry basket (that is what we used at school). Your child will have fun going shopping with a paper bag (with handles so he/she can hold it easily) or a small handled basket.


Yes, kids LOVE fill up bags and baskets with just about anything and everything, ESPECIALLY when said activity mimics adult activity, like grocery shopping! So, on some rainy days, my preschool class would pull out all the saved up food boxes and items, and grab a paper bag, as we all went grocery shopping. The kids LOVED it.

And now, my Little Dude does too. Sometimes I let him "cook" his water friendly grocery items in a cooking pot on the floor with a spoon and a little water. He loves it and could do it for hours, which gives me time to tend to JR. Nice.

Finding Other Stay At Home Parents

I am a Work From Home Mommy for Dakno Marketing, with the joy of only working when I feel like it and when it fits in my schduel. With that though, I also still miss out on a lot of the common work place interaction because all my work is done over the internet on web sites, and through email. Rarely do I talk to anyone in person, let alone see anyone in person!

Also, to top it off, since Little Dude was born I have moved to Oak Ridge, TN, Back to Raleigh, NC, and now to Mobile, AL. So it has been imperative for me to find play groups to join, as I have not been a Stay at Home mom in any one place long enough to just simply meet other moms on my own.

So, I now share with you a list of the best sources (that I have found) for finding mommy and parenting groups in different areas, in no particular order.

Moms Meetup
Moms Offering Moms Support Club
Mothers Of PreSchoolers Club
Cafe Mom
Work At Home Moms Club
Work At Home Moms
Raising Themwww.raisingthem.com.
Mom to Mom Connection
Modern Moms Group

And an entire map of Stay At Home/Work From Home Dad Groups: (click on the pin to see the individual groups web address)

Works For Me Wednesday

Well, it is another Works For Me Wednesday!! We recently made a 15 and a half hour drive from Raleigh, NC to Mobile, AL, where we will be living for the next 10 months or so while my husband's company is here building a huge something or other. Yes, I said something or other.

Anyways, that drive was one to be remembered, as we had the van FULL of everything from our house we thought we would need for a 10 month stay in an apartment. Frankly, we couldn't see out any of the windows. The trip really brought new importance to the word "co-pilot". But I digress.

For Works For Me advice, I am sharing how we kept from going crazy on the drive for THAT LONG with an almost 2 year old and a 9 week old.

*We had this for Little Dude. He was able to draw, play with toys, and eat tons of snacks, all with a nice flat place to work.

*We had a cooler FULL of drinks and snacks. Our snacks consisted of mostly cracker type items-anything that could be vacuumed up later very easily and NOTHING even remotely sticky. For drinks, I just kept filling up Little Dude's sippy cup with whatever bottled things we had.

*We had different CDs made with various music and I had a CD full of lively dance music that Little Dude just loves

*We played "look at that" games with him. He is a little too young for "I spy" so every few minutes Bill and I tried to find something different or cool to notice. When we got desperate we started pointing out other cars or things in the car.

*We had a bag of small toys ready at my reach to pass off, as well as those color wonder markers and paper to keep him buys and our seats marker free.

*We named animals and their sounds. Little Dude loved making cow and monkey sounds over and over...it was better than crying, even if we did hear moo a lot.

*I had a couple of changes of clothes and TONS of diapers for both kids readily accessible so car stops could be as quick as possible. We did pretty good since the drive was supposed to be about 12.5 and including time to stop and nurse JR we only added on 3.

*For one of JR's feedings I gave him a bottle in the car. Yes, I know nursing is best, and I do really enjoy nursing, but for the sake of saving time, he did get one formula feeding. And on a side note, in my opinion, whatever makes baby feeding the least stressful and most pleasant for Mommy and baby is what is right, be it nursing or formula.

*We left as early as possible in the morning so all our driving was finished about the time the sun set. That made stops easier, and since we couldn't see well out of the car, it made driving easier. I suggest though, if you're able, to do as much driving while the kids are sleeping when you can.

*I had about a 1000 pacifiers on hand for JR. Again, all easy to get.

*My husband and I actually TALKED. Amazing how quickly the time goes by when you are talking. Though I admit we did talk about his work some, as you can tell from my description of what he is down here building (something that will make steel..I do know that much...hahah), you can tell I learned a lot. But it was still interesting and fun to talk about.

*We included Little Dude a lot in our conversations about scenery, where we were driving, how he was doing, what we should eat out of the cooler, etc, I think he really enjoyed adding his two cents, "Mommy, I poot!!!" (why does mommy always get told where there is poop?) And it was a nice way to keep the time flowing.

*We prayed to the Gods to keep the kids from crying and us from going bonkers. Luckily, they were with us, and the trip was a very nice and smooth one.

*We don't have a car DVD player, and honestly I think there is enough tv in our lives without bringing it into our car, but I could see how for a trip this long it would be a nice distraction.

*We stopped at places where we could get gas and some hot food all at once-like those combo gas station McD's kind of stops.

*My husband and I took turns making bathroom trips so we didnt have to juggle the kids in bathrooms. I got first go every time-Bill is so awesome and I have a crazy small bladder; this he knows.

*Whenever we stopped for the bathroom we let Little Dude out to run around-we would park far away from other cars, hold his hand and luckily ended up near some grassy areas too, so he could get in the grass and we could be next to the car the whole time. We let JR our too, but he didn't really seem to care as much as Little Dude, JR was just happy that someone was holding him, be it the car seat or one of us.

Well, that is what we did, and it worked well for us. On our next drive back up to NC, I will let you guys know if the same tricks work again....

Head on over to Rocks in My Dryer for more tips!

Feather Printing-WFMW

It's time for Works For Me Wednesday! This week I will share and activity my 4 year old preschool class LOVED:

Feather Printing (ages 1-6 this is great for)

supplies needed:

sponges
scissors
liquid tempera paint (or finger paint of some kind)
water
paper

What you do:

Cut feather shapes in various sizes out of sponges, being sure to inclue the stem on the end of the feather shape you cut. Wet sponges, squeeze out, dip into paint, and press onto large sheets of paper. The different sizes and colors of feathers create a nice effect. This is terrific for younger kids.

For older kids, you can use real feathers, dip them into the paint, and carefully lay the feathers on the paper for the imprint of all the feather wisps. You can use real feathers with younger children as well, but I find that they usually end up getting the feather so wet and tangled that it becomes a "stick" shape and you loose the cool effect layering different paint colors in this project creates.

This is also a fabulous indoor activity for the hot summer days! Get creative with it too; use whatever shapes your child is most interested in, like cars, butterflies,or whatnot. You can even work on shape recognition by layering squares, circles, rectangles, etc with bright paints!

But most of all, have fun together!

Toddler/Baby Organization

Toddler/Baby Organization works for me! I have many soft cloth baskets around the house (which you can get at target, wal-mart, sams club, bjs, etc very cheaply) and they are designated for different baby/toddler toy items. Some area for books, one for blocks, one for rattle toys, one for cars, one big one for balls...you get the idea.

But what is the best way to keep the organization going? I slip in PICTURES of what the basket is supposed to be holding in the area where you would normally write a word. So, for example, our ball basket, has a picture of Little Dude's balls in the basket as the label for the basket INSTEAD of just the word: BALLS.

It works great, and Little Dude can find the right basket from the picture,and know what goes in that basket. You can see Little Dude in his "reading area" with the book basket in the background.



This could also work for shelves. Just simply set up the bookcase/shelves/play area however you want it, take pictures, then print them out on your printer on regular paper and tape them in the designated areas. Again, for example, a picture of the "reading area" taped to the wall over the reading area. (Scotch tape should work without messing up paint or wood, but check a small area in your home first, as what works on my walls may not work on yours)

Well, that is what works for me, and I hope that it helps your with getting your baby/toddler to put toys back where they go! Go check out Rocks in my Dryer for more helpful tips!

Letter Sandwiches-Works for Me Wed

Little Dude has a cute toy mail box and plastic "letters" that he just loves to give out to everyone. He will hand me the letter, and I "read" to him what I think it says, like "Hi, Mommy, I love you! Love Little Dude". Needless to say, he and I both get a big kick out of it.

But, that is pretend. There is a cool way to "write" real letters to each other! And it is so super easy you will love trying this out with your kids.

What you will need:

Alphabet cereal
slices of bread
peanut butter, jam, honey, or any other similar type spread

Cover a few slices of bread with your desired spread. Help your older toddler spell his name or a simple sentence such as "I love you" by applying the appropriate alphabet letters to his slice of bread. Younger toddlers will probably enjoy simply sticking the letters onto the bread, but you can still show them their name, Mommy, Daddy, baby, etc on your piece of bread. They will love it!

I'm off to see what my toddler is up to; it got very quiet all of a sudden.....

Junk Yard Dogs

What Works For Me this week? Junk Yard Dogs. They are THE people to contact when you have extra "junk" in your life! They are locally owned and operated in the Raleigh, NC area.


Not only are they GREAT at taking away your unwanted/unneeded "extra things", they also are eco friendly in their removal! All items that can be recycled ARE RECYCLED and anything that can't be is responsibly taken care of or donated to charities. How wonderful is that? You can clean out your garage, help out the environment AND support local charities! You'll also be surprised to learn you'll be able to use your garage space for so many other things....like, GASP! parking your car!!

Truly, Junk Yard Dogs is a miracle business made up of some of the hardest working guys you will ever met. You can take a look at their website and contact them here

And the best part of using Junk Yard Dogs? They give FREE estimates. That is right. FREE. So, go ahead, give them a try and I promise you won't be disappointed with their hard work, dedication, and service. By the time they are done, you will not even recognize your new space.

Well, that is what Works For Me! Head on over to Rocks in my Dryer for other great tips and services!!

WFMW-3 Minute Apple Cobbler

It is another WFMW!! This is a special theme: 5 ingredients or less

So, my friends, I give you:
The 3 Minute Apple Cobbler
INGREDIENTS:
Nilla Wafers
Applesauce
Whipped Topping (like cool whip)

Top 6 Nilla Wafers with 1/4 cup applesauce. Microwave on High for 15 seconds (or at whatever temp and time it will take your microwave to just get the applesauce nice and warm)Top with 1 Tbsp. thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping.

This is a FANTASTIC dessert for even small children to help with making/prepareing. Little Dude is able to help me put the nilla wafers in a bowel and he does a descent job of spooning on applesauce. For kids in the 2 year range, like Little Dude,you probably only want them to make their own, as fingers do make it to the mouth and in the food...

And, best of all it is super quick, super easy, kids will love "cooking" it, and it has only 3 ingredients! Now put your kids to work! As a parent, I vote that you deserve a little mid-day treat.

And, while you are eating your well deserved and wonderfully prepared cobbler, go on over to Rocks in my Dryer to check out other fabulous 5 ingredient or less Works For Me Wednesday items!