Want cleaner floors?

I hate walking barefoot on dirty floors. So I came up with a great solution.... wear shoes!

I don't know if it's where I live or my house isn't sealed very well or maybe it's the 3 kids, 2 dogs and cat that roam my house but even after I mop my floors always feel gritty. So I wear shoes, problem almost solved.

dinner to the rescue

Evenings and dinner time have been so difficult lately. In the past couple weeks I have sent Jackson to bed early several times. I am so tired of the mid afternoon meltdowns. So I tried something new yesterday, and it worked! Around 3 pm I let my kids have a small snack then I started making dinner around 4:30 when they started asking for another snack. By the time Damon got home at 6 pm they had eaten dinner, desert, were in their jammies and had their teeth brushed. The result; less tantrums, more time for me to pick up the house, Damon and I got to eat together while the boys sat and did paint with water, and both the boys and I were happier when Daddy got home which made Daddy want to spend time with us!

Knights in Shining Armor

I love cardboard boxes. Their versatility astounds me...

I used a little cardboard, some aluminum foil, tape and hot glue and suddenly my boys are knights in shining armor!

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

These also make GREAT gluten free cookies!!!

3/4 cup crisco
1 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 T. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour (or gf flour, add a little xanthum gum)
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

Heat oven to 375. Combine shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat egg into creamed mixture. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Drop tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake one sheet at a time. 8-10 minutes for chewy cookies or 11-13 minutes for crisp cookies.
It's a great recipe to double or triple and freeze in ziploc bags for fresh cookies any time.

Thanks for the recipe Leisa.

Bad Dreams

The past two nights I have had weird dreams that are probably results from the obsessing I have been doing. For the last week and a half I have been working very hard at getting me and my kids on a schedule, organizing my house and life, and sticking to my budget. I start teaching preschool again on September 1 so I want to make sure everything is in order and I am as prepared as can be so this year will run smoothly. Which brings me back to my dreams...

In my first dream we were on vacation in a motor home (although it was very bizarre and I felt very distressed). The motor home was DISGUSTING! It was filthy dirty and I was so overwhelmed as to where to start cleaning. The most memorable part of the dream was when I was feeding Lucy in the motorhome and a rat runs through it! I'm freaked out by rodents as it is and I'm feeding a baby, so I call to Damon for help. He's busy doing something and not really paying attention. Then the rat comes and tries to climb on me! Gross!!! So when I woke up it was a huge relief to walk into a very clean kitchen.

The second dream I had I had just graduated from high school and the night of graduation I went to the store to buy groceries for my parents (don't ask me where all that came from). It was quite a crazy shopping experience. When I finally went to pay it was super late at night, the store was about to close, and the lines were super long. For some reason it took a long time for the cashier to ring up my items and the final price kept changing. I was trying to count my money to pay but I couldn't do it. The money was out of order and sticking together and I kept getting confused and had to start over. I remember thinking "I used to be a bank teller, why can't I do this?" I finally was able to count out $400 but the cashier told me it wasn't four hundred dollars, it was fourteen hundred!

Organization and finances have been on my mind so I am going to share some of the things I have been working on.

Organization:

I have created a routine chart that has the things I need to accomplish daily and weekly. I printed it on the computer with the things I need to do daily on one column and the things I need to do weekly on the other column.

For example:

Daily I need to do laundry, chore charts with my kids, dishes, exercise etc.

Weekly I have something different to do each day plus a room to clean. When I say deep clean or organize I choose one or two simple tasks to complete. For example; when I deep cleaned my front room I wiped down my blinds. Here is my list...

Mondays- weekly clean (change sheets, trash, dust, sweep/vacuum, mop, etc) and deep clean or organize my front rooms and porch.

Tuesdays- this is my free day where I can do crafts, projects, etc. and deep clean or organize the kitchen.

Wednesdays- clean bathrooms, clean fridge, and make my grocery list, and deep clean or organize my kid's rooms and office.

Thursdays- paperwork, pay bills, balance checkbook, clean out car and purse, and deep clean or organize my bedroom and bathroom.

Fridays- grocery shopping, run errands, and deep clean or organize the family room and patio.

I printed this list, laminated it, and put a magnet on the back. Now I can hang it and mark on it with a dry erase marker.

I also printed, laminated and put a magnet on a paper that has "freezer" on one column and "deep freeze" on the other. I wrote with a dry erase marker the items I have in each of my freezers. My purpose in this is to know what I have when I make my grocery and dinner lists. I hate over buying or assuming I have something when I really don't, who takes the time to dig through their deep freezer to find out?

I laminated a piece of card stock and put a magnet on it so I can make a to do list. Now I won't have 5 scrap papers filled with lists of things to do floating around my house that I can never seem to find.

The final list I made was one for my meals. I typed on one column "breakfast, lunch, dinner with 1-7 under each one. I left the other column empty. I printed lots of copies and cut them in half. I attached each column with a butterfly clip to a laminated piece of card stock with a magnet on the back. I made my menu for the week on one and my grocery list on the other.

Here is a picture of some of my lists.This is the board in my hallway that I hang everything on.
I bought some shelves from Target to use for preschool. I made the magnetic board I hung above it. This will be a great teaching space for preschool.

I made the magnet board with a picture frame I wasn't using anymore. I bought a piece of sheet metal from Lowe's and scissors to cut it. I cut it the size of my frame, took out the glass and put in my metal.

Finances:Damon and I figured out exactly how much our monthly income is and how much we spend on each of our bills. We then made a list of every bill we thought we could lower. I ended the internet service on my phone and saved almost $50 a month! I asked my dr. to double the dosage on my prescription so I can cut each pill in half. That way I am making the same co payment but only every other month. We also decided on a grocery amount for the month. I take that amount out in cash and have to budget carefully so it will last all month. I make a meal plan each week and do our grocery shopping around that so I am not buying things we don't need. We stopped going out to eat and Damon is taking his lunches to work. We also decided to put gas in our cars on Friday and only put a certain amount in. We have to make sure we don't drive any more than needed so our gas can last all week. It's amazing the money we have been able to save by only making a few changes.

ice sculptures

It is too hot to just send my boys outside to play. So we experimented with water. I let them play with cups of colored water, they learned about mixing colors to make new ones then we put the cups in the freezer. When the water was frozen they took the ice outside and used the different shapes to build with. It kept them busy and cool.
We also froze army men and other small toys in an empty one gallon ice cream container. I gave them hammers and let them hammer out the toys.

Missing Puzzles

I don't know about you but it is a pain trying to keep track of my kid's puzzle pieces. I've come up with a solution that seems to be working. I took a small manilla envelope and taped it on the back of their board puzzles to keep the pieces in. I also took a small piece of velcro and stuck it on the flap for easy closure. No more searching for that lost puzzle piece!

Easy Easter Baskets

I wanted to do something for my preschool class for Easter that was inexpensive, easy, and not full of candy. So I made them Easter baskets.
I used a plastic cup, punched holes in the side, then added a colorful ribbon!
I put fake grass inside along with a piece of candy and an egg with a toy in it. And there's my Easter gift!

Picture Frames and Toothpaste

One of the most frustrating things is when you are trying to hang a picture that requires two nails and you end up making 10 holes in the wall to get it even. My trick is to use TOOTHPASTE. here's what you do...

gather your supplies:

picture frame

hammer

nails

pencil

level

toothpast

papertowel Hold your picture frame against the wall where you want it.

As you are holding it in the place you want set your level on the top of the frame to make sure it's actually level.

Once it's even and where you want it take your pencil (while still holding the frame) and draw a line along the top or bottom of the frame, using the frame as a guide.

Take your frame down and add a tiny bit of toothpaste to each hook in the back, right where you want the nail.

Hold the picture frame up to the wall again using your drawn line as a guide then press the frame against the wall so the toothpaste will leave a mark where you want your holes.

Take the frame down and there should be two toothpaste marks on the wall where you want your nails.

Hammer your nails right in the center of each toothpast blob.

Wipe off any extra toothpaste, and maybe erase your pencil mark, then hang your frame!

Easy Pizza

Here is a super easy way to make pizza that the kids can totally help with.

English muffins (Glutino makes an excellent Gluten Free English muffin! I buy mine at Sprouts)
pizza sauce (I make mine with tomato sauce and Italian spices)
mozzarella cheese
pepperoni
any other toppings you want

Preheat oven to 350. Open English muffins on a cookie sheet. Add sauce, cheese and toppings, bake for about 20 minutes!


You can also make BREAKFAST PIZZA - no baking necessary!

English muffins
fruit
jam or jelly

My kids like their English muffins toasted with butter and jelly then I let them add whatever fruit they want. (cut up apples, bananas, strawberries, etc)

Aggression Cookies

These are so easy and totally fun for kids!

3 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Dump it in a bowl and mix it with your hands. The more you mix and pound the better the cookies.
bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes

Super Goop

I tried this easy Goop recipe with my kids. They really enjoyed making it. I let them each choose a food color and we mixed the colors. It was great to talk about what happens when water gets hot, the texture of the corn starch, and mixing colors. They got a little bored playing with it in the ziplock baggies so I will give it to them again and let them play with it in the bathtub before I turn on the water. Then they can paint their bodies and the tub and it will make for easy clean up!
*This can also be fun for older kids. They can probably make it themselves and what kid doesn't like goop?

SUPER GOOP
2 cups water
1/2 cup corn starch
food coloring

Bring water to a boil.
Add cornstarch and stir until smooth.
Add food coloring and stir.
Let cool.
Squish on table top or put in ziplock bag to mush and play with. (to minimize

Your in the doghouse!

My kids and their friend were pretending like they were dogs. I got tired of them running through the house and being loud so I pulled out some boxes and let them play in their "doghouse". Who needs to spend money on toys, just give them the boxes!

Twice Baked Potatoes

This is an easy recipe and one my whole family enjoys. My kids call them "mashed potatoes in a bowl".

Bake your potatoes (I like to bake my potatoes right on the oven rack without wrapping them in foil. It makes the skins a little crispier and makes it easier to scoop out the inside.)

Cut the potatoes in half
Scoop out the insides and put in seperate bowl
Add butter, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
Use mixer to make potatoes creamy
Scoop back into potato peels and cover with cheese
Bake until cheese melts, about 15-20 min

Clean Car

After letting my car get totally trashed I realized I needed to make some changes. I put a big cup in my cup holder and call it my trash can. I had a talk with my boys and told them we need to keep the car clean and it's not ok to throw garbage in the car. Just by adding a garbage cup to my car has kept it so much cleaner. When I'm getting gas or when I get home from a busy day I throw the garbage away and put the cup back. One simple thing has made a huge difference.

Holy Cow

Holy Cow is my favorite cleaning product. http://www.holycowproducts.com/
It is safe to use around kids and pets and can be used on anything. I have used it to get blood out of carpet and to clean my granite counters. In fact, I use it everywhere. Not that my house is super clean but at least I have a great cleaning product!
You can purchase Holy Cow at Walgreens, Walmart, Sam's Club, Albertson's, Fry's and Basha's

(Thanks for introducing it to me Tonya.)

Colorful Cakes

I made a big batch of pancakes and added foodcoloring to make them more fun. When my kids had their fill of pink and blue pancakes I froze the rest. Now we can have a fast, fun breakfast just by popping the colored pancakes in the toaster!

(Thanks for the idea Ashley.)

Making Flours

I needed an activity for my kids to do while I made dinner. They went to town, had a learning opportunity, and had a great bath after!

Materials:
cookie sheets
flour
water
corn meal
food coloring
any other ingrediet you like

What I did:
I put flour on the cookie sheets and let them play.
When they started to get a little bored or distracted I added a new ingredient (water, corn meal)
As they played I cooked dinner and talked to them about textures, colors, and anything else.

It made a mess but it was easy to clean while they were in the tub.

A time and a season

I went to a friend's house today and was thinking how beautiful and CLEAN her house was. I was starting to feel bad about myself, considering I hadn't done dishes in four days. Then I realized that her kids are grown and out of the house while I have a 3 year old, a 2 year old and I'm pregnant. We are all in different times and seasons of our lives and the season I'm in is clearly not to keep my house clean. So I am trying to not get frustrated over the clutter, the dirt and the messes I haven't been able to get to in months and remember that some day I'll be in the season of my life to get to it all.

Simple Cinnamon Rolls

Here is an easy cinnamon roll recipe... and what I do to make them super yummy!

* I only make half the recipe because it will still give me 2 dozen rolls. But here is the full recipe if you want extra or want to just make bread.

4 tblsp instant yeast
*(I soften my yeast first to help it rise faster. To do this put a pinch of sugar
in 1/4 cup warm water if halfing the recipe or 1/2 cup if using the
full recipe. Add yeast without stirring. The yeast will begin to
grown and then you can add it to the recipe.)
5 cups water
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup powdered dry milk
2 tblsp salt
14 cups flour (approximately)

Mix 5 cups flour, salt, sugar, milk, yeast. Add water, oil, and eggs. Mix thoroughly and add flour, just until it pulls away from sides of bowl. Let rise until doubled, punch down.

(If you want to make bread form into loaves and place in greased bread pans. Let rise until it's the size of a nice big loaf of bread. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes.)

For Cinnamon Rolls
After rising, roll into a big rectangle, spread with 1/2 cup melted butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon, then sugar (approx. 2 tsp cinnamon to 1 cup sugar.) Roll up and slice 1 inch thick. Place into 9x13 greased pans or cookie sheets with sides. Bake at 350 for 20 min.
* (I use about 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar, I also roll my dough pretty thin. I don't like my rolls to be doughy and I like them pretty moist and sweet. )

Frosting
1 cube butter
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
8 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
milk (1 tblsp at a time)

Soften butter and cream cheese. Whip and gradually add sugar and milk intermittently until desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt. Whip until fluffy, spread on rolls.

Enjoy!

A new blog!!

I have been wanting to start this blog for a long time. I've finally done it and am really excited about it. I will blog on things that make me happy and make my life easier, like easy meals, things to keep kids busy, and home decorating. So here it goes...