Mother's Day Coleslaw

Okay, okay - Mother's Day doesn't have to be all about breakfast in bed, does it? Here's a great coleslaw recipe...

Ingredients:
2 heads cabbage, shredded
1 small head red cabbage, shredded
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 - 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
2 cups mayonnaise
2 Tablespoon mustard
2 Tablespoon sugar
4 Tablespoon wine vinegar
2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon dried cilantro
2 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoon parsley

Instructions:
In a large sized bowl, mix cabbage, red cabbage, bell peppers, onion and carrots. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, pepper, cilantro, basil, and parsley in another bowl. Pour mayonnaise mixture over vegetable mixture and stir well, coating vegetables completely. Cover coleslaw and chill overnight.
Serves: 16-20

20 Gifts from the Heart for Mother's Day

Unless your kids have been saving their allowance religiously, they may not be able to afford to buy an expensive gift for Mother’s Day.

However, there are inexpensive ideas for Mother’s Day gifts which they can utilize. Here are 20 gifts that come from the heart and not necessarily the piggy bank:

1. Set the table for dinner
2. Give her a red rose and place it in her favorite vase
3. Make her a special breakfast
4. Take her to the park for a picnic lunch
5. Bake her a cake and sing Happy Mother’s Day To You
6. Buy her favorite scented candles
7. Burn her favorite CD
8. Offer to do a specific chore for a week such as washing the dishes
9. Make a huge Happy Mother’s Day Sign
10. Give her a picture of you in a specially decorated frame
11. Make a bag of potpourri using dried flowers from the garden
12. Put together a scrapbook with her favorite recipes
13. Make a jewelry box for her using spring ornaments
14. Buy packs of herbs or flower seeds your mom could plant in the garden
15. Clear out the flower bed for mom to prepare for spring planting
16. Rake the leaves and make a compost pile
17. Make mom a bracelet using beads from a craft store
18. Make a sign for a t-shire that says “I love my mom” with an arrow pointing to the right or left
19. Wash the car
20. Clean your room

There are so many inexpensive ideas for Mother’s Day gifts, all of which will be appreciated no matter how small. The fact that you took the time to make a present or buy something really special says it all. So whatever you decide to do, know that it will be a keepsake mom will treasure forever.

Mother's Day Breakfast Muffins

Go ahead Mom, take the morning off and enjoy these wonderful breakfast muffins!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup finely chopped Canadian bacon (about 3 1/2 oz.)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degress. Coat muffin tins with cooking spray. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl and set to the side. Beat eggs, oil and sugar in a bowl. Stir in previously set aside mixture, pineapple, cheese and bacon. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of muffins (approximately 30 minutes). Serve while still warm for best results. Makes 12 muffins.

Mother's Day Oatmeal

Hope you're hungry Mom! Here's a great oatmeal recipe to make for her this Mother's Day.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups skim milk
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped, unpeeled apple

Instructions:
Boil milk in a saucepan and stir in oats. Once oats and milk are mixed well, add the butter and salt and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove oatmeal from stove and add the maple syrup, raisins, walnuts and apples. Stir to mix well. Serve with a tablespoon of brown sugar.

Mother's Day Strawberry French Toast

Over the next week, I'm going to give you some recipes that you can treat Mom with on Mother's Day...enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
8 slices bread, white or whole wheat
3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoon milk
4 Tablespoon butter, optional
2 Tablespoon powdered sugar

Instructions:
Mix until smooth cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Spread on one side of bread. Top with sliced strawberries, covering the spread completely. Spread more of the mixture on another piece of bread and place on top. Press sandwich together gently to enclose strawberries inside. Mix eggs and milk together and set aside. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place in oven. Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in a skillet. Take sandwiches and place in egg and milk mixture covering both sides. Lay sandwich in the skillet and cook until the first side is lightly brown. Flip sandwich and cook the other side. Once both sides have browned, place it on the baking sheet in warm oven. Before serving, top french toast with remaining strawberries and powdered sugar. Drizzle with maple syrup or Strawberry topping below.
Serves: 4

Strawberry French Toast Topping
Ingredients:
1/2 C. maple syrup
2 T. orange juice or Grand Marnier
3/4 C. pureed strawberries

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a small pan. Stirring constantly, heat mixture over medium heat until it begins to thicken (approximately 5 minutes). While still warm, pour over french toast and serve immediately.

Cinco de Mayo - I Stand Corrected

I get a lot of reader email and comments on a weekly basis.

I received one today after I sent out an email "blast" to my newsletter list regarding a couple of new Freebies we have available for Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day. Here it is in it's entirety:

Dear Tracy,thought I'd let you know that Cinco de Mayo IS NOT Mexican Independence Day. I am some what bothered that a web site that provides so much info wouldn't research first their info. F.Y.I. Mexican Independence Day is the 16th of Sept.

In my email, I had indicated that Cinco de Mayo was, in fact, Mexican Independence Day. I stand corrected (thanks to Margaret Puente). She's correct, Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day, but - according to Wikipedia "is a national, but not federal, holiday in Mexico which is also widely celebrated in the United States. It commemorates the victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin over the French occupational forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862."

I like to keep my readers informed with CORRECT information and I appreciate when a mistake is brought to my attention. My sincere apologies if my error offended any of my readers.

Thank you, Margaret, for keeping me on my toes - I promise to be more diligent in my research and presentation :)

Since this has come about, I decided to begin a new policy. I'm calling it the "Take Your Foot Out of Your Mouth Tracy" award. I'm going to reward anyone who will bring to my attention an error in facts or research that has been published on this blog or the Mom's Niche website.

Margaret will receive one of our Mom's Niche prize packs filled with all kinds of goodies.

Thanks again Margaret for bringing this to my attention and congratulations for being our first award recipient!

Two New eBooks in Time for the Spring Holidays!

Here are a couple of new FREEBIES offered by Mom's Niche. Just in time for Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day. These books are free to download. Just right click on the title and "save target as" to download to your hard drive.

Cinco de Mayo - Celebrate this Mexican holiday with style! Learn the history, crafts, songs and 15 recipes to have a great party!

Mother's Day - this eBook is full of great crafts and recipes to treat Mom to a great Mother's Day!

I hope you enjoy these free books and please, pass them along to your family and friends!

Mom - Want to Earn Some Extra Money? Learn How!

I ran across this great article for SAHMs (Stay at Home Moms) with some tips on how to earn some extra money. Read on...

Stay at Home Mom Tips for Earning Extra Money from Home

Staying at home with your children is a rewarding job. Raising children is a hard task even under the best of circumstances. Still, moms who stay at home may be yearning for more in their own lives to feel fulfilled.

The invention of the Internet opened up many doors for entrepreneurial exploits. An entire world of information is at our fingertips twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. To take advantage, all we need is a computer and a little motivation. This is the perfect way for moms to make some money of their own.

The most popular choice would be internet auction houses. The most popular of which is eBay. Everyone has something around their home that they can sell that someone else may want. One day, while your kids are sleeping, check out the attic and the garage for hidden treasures that could fetch a good price on the internet. Use a digital camera to take pictures of all potential money-making items. You can find a useful guide to getting started with auctions here.

Use your hobbies to make some easy cash. Do you like to draw, paint, crochet, or create crafts? Create your own website to advertise your particular expertise. Local flee markets and craft shows are a perfect way to get your product out there to the public. These events take place on the weekend, so your spouse can watch the kids while you market your merchandise.

Another way to make some extra money is online surveys. Large companies spend millions of dollars each year in market research for new and existing products. They poll consumers like you and me to see if there is sufficient interest in their products. The surveys can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour per survey for follow-up surveys. Don’t expect to get rich, but just earn a little extra income. Different companies offer a variety of incentives. Some companies offer points for their surveys which can be converted into prizes. Other survey companies offer cash for trialing new services and products. These surveys usually require a credit card for a preliminary fee that is reimbursed by the company upon completion of the survey.

Any work you do for extra money on the Internet requires an online account for companies or individuals to deposit your earned cash. The premier online account is PayPal. Signing up is free, but you must have a valid bank account that can be verified in case there is any discrepancy with the funds in your PayPal account.

There are a number of ways to earn extra money as a stay at home mom. The Internet offers plenty of opportunities that do not require a lot of time. The extra funds that you will be making will feel good.

If you want to take it to the next level and start earning more serious cash from home, visit Moms Talk Biz for more ideas.

We Have Recipe Challenge Winners!

Finally, the votes are tallied and we have the winners of our Mom's Niche Recipe Challenge! All of the the winners and their winning recipes are published below. Why don't you use these and make a nice dinner tonight?? :)

Appetizer Winner - Patty
Shrimp Bacon Bites

Ingredients:
1 cup cleaned cooked shrimp (about 16)
1/2 clove garlic, slivered
1/2 cup chili sauce
8 to 10 slices bacon

Directions:
Mix shrimp and garlic; pour chili sauce over mixture. Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, several hours.

Cut bacon slices into halves. Cook bacon until limp; drain. Wrap each shrimp in bacon piece; secure with wooden pick.Set oven control to broil and/or 550 degrees. Broil with tops 2-3 inches from heat until bacon is crisp.

Entree Winner - Revka
Revka's Chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken:
2 c. crushed saltines
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
8-10 chicken breasts
1 1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 c. butter, melted

Sauce:
2 cans Italian-style stewed or diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. Italian seasonings
2 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
Chicken:
In large, resealable bag or a shallow container, combine saltines, cheese, paprika, and pepper. Dip chicken in evaporated milk, then shake or dredge in saltine mixture. Pour butter into bottom of two 13x9 baking pans to coat. Arrange chicken, skin side down (if you left the skin on). Bake at 350F for 60-70 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, turning after 30 minutes. (I usually don't turn the chicken.) Top with sauce (recipe included) and Parmesan cheese.

Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a pot and heat through.

Dessert Winner - Andrea
Quick Chocolate Cherry Pie

Ingredients:
1 graham cracker pie crust
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14oz) can condensed milk
½ teaspoon salt1 (21oz) can cherry pie filling
8 maraschino cherries, stemmed

Directions:
Place the chocolate chips, condensed milk and salt in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir continuously until blended through. Mix in the cherry pie filling and mix well. Let cool slightly and then pour intro prepared pie crust. Chill for approximately 3 to 4 hours and garnish with the maraschino cherries.

Congratulations to our winners! You will all be notified by email and our Mom's Niche Prize Pack filled with all kinds of goodies will be sent directly to you.

Freebie - Coloring Pages

I always like to pass along the freebies to you...

Mom's Niche has just updated the website with coloring pages. These are all FREE for you to use for your daycare or preschool classes, homeschooling, Mommy and Me groups or just for your own personal use!

Now available:
Animals
Art History
Dinosaurs
Flowers
People

We are updating frequently, so make sure to come back again soon!

Check them out...print them out...use them however you please!

Enjoy!

Is Your Toddler Biting? Here Are Some Tips to Help You Deal

It can upset and alarm you when your toddler bites. Some experts say that toddlers resort to extreme measures like biting when they become frustrated and have not yet learned how to express themselves with words.

Biting can become a dangerous problem if it isn’t properly handled. It is extremely important for parents to learn how to deal with this and meet it head-on. The following tips will show you how to cope with your biting toddler:

• Get to the Core of Your Toddler’s Anger – If your toddler bites in anger, ask yourself what might be causing this change of mood in your toddler. Have there been any changes in your toddler’s life lately? Is your toddler reacting in anger? If your toddler hasn’t been socialized with his children his age, this could be another cause of anger.
• Stay Calm – If you are already dealing with a biting problem and have lost your cool with your toddler, don’t feel bad. Parents commonly overreact to toddler biting. However, shouting or spanking your child probably will not help the situation. Model the behavior you expect from your child. Take a deep breath and count to ten. When you are calm, you are better able to handle a bite incident.
• Warn Her of the Dangers of Biting – Even though toddlers are just learning to talk, they are old enough to understand pain. They are also old enough to understand cause and effect. In a calm, but firm voice, explain to your toddler why she shouldn’t bite. Let her know that biting hurts and she shouldn’t do it.
• Teach Him To Use His Words – Some toddlers start talking earlier than others. As your toddler grows and learns how to talk, teach him to use special words to express his feelings. “Tommy mad,” or “Suzie sad,” are just a couple of examples. If your toddler is biting but is still too young to speak, try using baby sign language instead. You can make up your own signs for pain, hurt, no, bad, etc...
• Set Her Up for Success – If your toddler seems to have trouble socializing in certain situations, don’t place her in that situation. Give your toddler the best chance of success by placing her in a situation where there is no opportunity for trouble. By setting your child up for success, you can show her that she can play and socialize with other children without biting. As you see your toddler’s behavior improving, gradually introduce her to more challenging situations.
• Praise Your Toddler – Calling attention to negative behavior and its consequences is important. Don’t forget to praise your toddler when he does well, though. Pointing out and rewarding positive actions will help your toddler to remember the desired behavior and reaction.

Beat Stress with Laughter

Ever laughed so hard at a comedian on TV that you begin to cry? Or perhaps your friend gets you going with some old, funny memories and your laughter becomes uncontrollable for minutes on end. Do you feel the tension wash away from your body?

What you are experiencing is a release of the stress you’ve been carrying for days or even weeks. The old adage, “Laughter is the best medicine,” is very true.

Why is laughter your secret weapon to beating stress?

Laughter = 15 min. on an exercise bike

That's incredible! Not only does laughter lower your blood pressure, but it also increases the endorphins in your body which contributes to a healthier immune system.

Life is hard; why make it harder? If you can determine what makes you laugh; whether it’s going to a comedy club; surrounding yourself with funny people; watching a comedy on TV, or simply reading a book of jokes, you will be amazed how laughter can improve your physical and emotional well-being. Laughter actually distracts you from the underlying stress, and brings you to a balanced and calm state. It is, as they say, infectious.

It is important to laugh as much and as often as you can. It is the cure-all for stress, frustration and, in some cases, depression. Perhaps you’ve used the expression, “One day we will remember this, and laugh our heads off.” By having a positive attitude, and using laughter as a mechanism to celebrate life, instead of stressing over it; you’ll become healthier and less stressed when confronting negative events.

This happened just the other evening while being bombarded all day long with the tragedy of the Virginia Tech shootings...I said to my husband, "Let's just watch something funny for a half hour - we need a break." It's not that we needed to forget or ignore what's going on, but we just needed to laugh and release that stress that had been building.

“Laugh and the world will laugh with you….” As you go through your daily routine, find something to laugh about. Look at the bright side; tell yourself the cup is half full; laugh until it hurts. You may not have control over certain aspects of life, but you can control the stress. Let laughter be that secret weapon to beating stress.

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Busy all day tomorrow? Want to have a great meal on the table at the end of the day? This great crock pot chicken recipe will put a smile on your face and happy eaters at the dinner table!

Ingredients:
1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
3 lbs boneless/skinless thighs and breasts
1 (6oz)can tomato paste
fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 (8oz )can stewed tomatoes salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups chicken stock

Directions:
Place sliced onions at bottom of crock pot. Add chicken. Stir together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low 7-9 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve over rice or pasta and add a side salad.

Saddened in Virginia

This morning, my families' eyes are peeled to the Today Show watching the horrific aftermath of the massacre at Virginia Tech.

My husband hails from Blacksburg and we have many close friends who live there.

This tragedy has hit home in so many ways. This morning, my oldest daughter (11) was talking about the trailers that they have some classes in at school. "At least we have 2 different doors to go in and out...unless they would have both of the doors surrounded." She's scared. She should be. What kind of a world do we live in that this sort of thing happens? What do you say to your kids? I'm scared too. I know that right now I can only do my best to make them feel safe and secure and let them know that the real world sucks sometimes, but my arms are here to hold them for as long as they can.

Last thought today: Our families' thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims and survivors of this horrible tragedy. We hope that some peace can be found.

Ideas for Fun Kid Party Games

Planning a kid party soon? Need some good ideas for games to keep them occupied? Here are some fun ideas for all ages...have fun!

Shave the Balloon
Mess factor: 10
Suitable ages: Pre-teens or teens
Supplies needed: balloons, shaving cream, disposable razors, and newspapers (optional)
Directions: Blow up balloons before party time. Spread shaving cream all over a balloon. Let kids take turns “shaving” a balloon. The object of this game is to shave your balloon completely without popping it.
Side note: This game should be played outdoors because of the mess factor. If playing indoors, spread newspaper on the floor before you begin.

Crazy Faces
Mess factor: 0
Suitable age: Pre-teen and younger
Supplies needed: disposable cameras or digital cameras
Directions: Let kids take turns snapping pictures of each other making crazy faces. The object of this game is to see who can make the craziest face. Kids can take a vote and give a prize to the craziest face.

Pass the Egg
Mess factor: 10
Suitable age: All ages
Supplies needed: eggs, spoons
Directions: Group kids into pairs. Place one egg on a spoon, and then have a child to place the end of the spoon between their teeth. One child walks halfway to the finish line, and then passes the egg (from one spoon to the other) to their partner’s spoon. The partner then attempts to reach the finish line without breaking the egg. The object of this game is for partners to successfully pass the egg from one spoon to another and reach the finish line without splattering the egg everywhere.
Side note: This game is best played outdoors because of the mess factor.

Silly Story
Mess factor: 0
Suitable ages: Younger children
Supplies needed: articles of clothing, odd accessories (costume jewelry, floppy hats, etc.)
Directions: Sit kids in a circle. Make a pile of the story-telling items in the center of the circle. The first child starts the silly story by selecting a piece of clothing or an accessory from the pile. She puts it on, then makes up a silly story line. Example: A child might say something like, “Suzie needed a gallon of milk, but her hair was too short so she put a hat on her head.” While saying this, the child places a hat on her head. The next child follows in suit, choosing something from the clothing pile and putting it on while adding to the story. The story continues in the circle until every dress-up item is used and the story has ended. The object of this game is to have fun making up a silly story and dressing up.

11 Tips for Keeping Safe While Shopping Online

Shopping online has become the wave of the future. No standing in lines, no posted hours to shop and you don't even have to take a shower and get dressed to do it! These are all great advances from the old method of shopping; however, you need to make sure you're safe when doing so. To this end, here are some tips for keeping your online shopping experience a safe one.

1. Never buy anything from an unknown company. If they don't have a phone number or address – stay away from them.
2. Ensure that whenever you buy a product, you are sent a receipt by email.
3. Some card companies are offering virtual credit cards – check into this type of service as it changes card numbers each time a purchase is made.
4. Always look for the Veri Sign logo, BBB logo, and the lock on the bottom right corner of the website. This ensures the company is well known, and is using a method to conceal your information.
5. Do not apply for credit cards on line. The company may be a bogus one.
6. If you have several department store cards, and buy from them online, change your password every month.
7. Research the stores you buy from beforehand. Ensure they are credible and have been around for a number of years.
8. Shopping online and using your credit card unfortunately leaves you open to hackers. Make sure you have virus protection software installed in your computer, as well as a firewall.
9. Change your passwords monthly. Although this can be a huge pain, it will be well worth it in the long run!
10. Clear out your cache every time you sign off.
11. If you are using a cable modem; unplug the PC cable from the modem every night. Using a cable modem means you are on a network; avoid any hackers from engaging in illegal activity.

If you are careful, you can shop almost anywhere and any time online as long as you keep these tips for keeping your online shopping experience a safe one in mind.

Talking to Your Kids About Smoking

Being the mother of two tween-age children can be a huge eye-opener. At the tender age of 10 and 12, it becomes quite clear they are more sophisticated than we were at that age. Some of the stories that I hear about the middle school kids' behavior are unreal. The language, the disrespect and smoking and alcohol consumption. While all of this is hard to fathom, one of the question facing parents is: “How to you talk to your kids about smoking?”

While it is recommended that parents discuss smoking with their kids at age five or six, it is nonetheless hard to broach the subject. Certainly, if you are a parent who smokes, it will be harder to convince a child that it is unwise and dangerous for them to do so. After all, to them it may seem harmless. Moreover, children tend to mimic parents at an early age. So what do you say to these children? How do you convince them the very thing you want them to avoid is a habit they constantly witness on a daily basis? It is quite a conundrum.

If you do smoke, the first thing you need to do is quit. I know this can be one of the hardest things in your life to do. We're experiencing it first-hand. My husband has been a smoker for a very long time. He wants to quit and has tried several different methods to quit and has been unsuccessful to date. Just these past couple of weeks he is trying the prescription Chantix. He has been very successful so far...wish us continued luck!

If you don't smoke, you can sit your children down and explain to them the dangers. It goes far beyond just telling them, doesn’t it? As they mature, they will be immersed in a culture where peer pressure and acceptance become the catalyst which may override your efforts to keep them safe and out of harm’s way.

So what do you say?

• Smoking can kill
• It is habit forming
• It doesn’t matter what their friends do or say to provoke them, they should say no and walk away
• Smoking is not a hip thing to do

Will they understand what you are trying to convey? Perhaps the answer is in repeatedly pointing out the dangers of smoking; that it is not a popular thing to do; point out people who smoke and make reference to how they look and smell.

While you cannot shield your child from all potential bad habits they will come across in their young lives, you can offer positive reinforcement on a daily basis by not engaging in any activity they may mimic, and being consistent in your efforts to dissuade them by any means you can. Books, videos and other tools can be used to teach children the hazards of smoking and other harmful toxins. Teach them to say no to their friends or peers. Tell them by saying no they are exhibiting strength of character, and how proud you are they have acted so grown up.

So far, so good with my tweens. In fact, they are a huge proponent in encouraging my husband to quit! We're going to keep educating and keep encouraging them to say no to the peer pressure that will keep bombarding them for the years to come!

Wedding Gifts - Part 1: Understanding the Process

Over the next few weeks, I'll take you on a guided tour of purchasing wedding gifts. Since the wedding season is coming up, I thought maybe we could all use a little refresher course on the proper etiquette of giving wedding gifts.

Understanding the Process

When it comes to wedding gift giving, there is much question about what to give, when to give it, how to give it and even how to choose it. Are you confused yet? You should be. It can be a very complicated process.

If you are in the market to purchase a gift for a newlywed couple, take some time to really ponder what the right gift will be. When you invest some time in doing this, the end result is a great gift that they will love.

To help you to get started, take a few minutes to ask yourself some questions about your needs and your relationship with the couple that is soon to be wed.

• How close are you to the couple? The closer that you are, the more meaningful your wedding gift should be.
• How often do you see them? Do you play a role within their lives? The closer that you are, again, the more special your wedding gift will need to be for them.
• What is a comfortable amount of money that you can spend on a wedding gift that will not financially strain you but that will be worth the investment?
• Is there something that you would like to give them? Is there something that is important to you that they have as they start this new life together?
• Is there something on their gift registry that you would like to purchase for them?

Asking yourself these questions can help you to get the process started in finding the perfect wedding gift for the couple. While you can go out and just pick anything for them (or just write a check for that matter) spending a bit more time doing so will insure that they get something that they will love and cherish as much as their new marriage!

Next time...Shopping Successfully!

Consider Investing Your Tax Return

If you have already visited your CPA or filed your 2006 income taxes on your own; you may want to invest the money you'll be receiving from your tax return (provided you are receiving a fairly large sum).

Some may ask why investing your tax refund is a smart move, while others can’t wait to cash the check. Here are some investment ideas for those of you who are considering it.

• Reinvest the money back into your home - repairs, landscaping, addition, etc...
• Invest in a bank CD
• Increase your IRA account
• Your current 401K, SEP or other retirement fund
• Invest into a 529 or other educational savings vehicle
• Pay off insurance premiums
  Pay off your credit cards or other high interest debt
  

Think about why investing your tax refund is a smart move. Talk to your accountant to determine the best course of action which will yield you the highest interest for you and your family. This may be the smartest move you’ve ever made!

Easy Easter Brownie Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 (19.5oz) package chocolate brownie mix
36 milk-chocolate mini eggs
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flaked coconut
2 drops green food coloring

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Prepare brownie mix according to package instructions. Stir in 9 unwrapped mini chocolate eggs and stir well. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Place in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 to 17 minutes or until the edges start to firm but the center is still slightly soft. Remove from oven and cool in pan for approximately 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer until smooth. Set aside.

Combine the shredded coconut and food coloring in a small bowl and mix well. Now top each cupcake with a tablespoon full of the cream cheese mixture and smooth the mixture flat. Then sprinkle the “green grass” shredded coconut over the cupcakes. Top each cupcake with one unwrapped chocolate egg.

Make Your Own Easter Baskets

There use to be a time when buying Easter baskets was affordable. With the exception of the dollar store variety, it seems everything but the kitchen sink is included, making them a bit high in price.

Here are some tips for making your own Easter baskets using your creativity!

A basket can come in any size and shape. Traditionally, an Easter basket is made of wicker, filled with brightly colored cellophane and, of course, the handle. You can make a basket out of things in your home.

• How about a gallon milk jug? Cut it right above the handle to open it up. Wrap it with brightly colored cellophane or tissue paper and decorate the handle.
• Paper plate and ribbon. Make holes on each side of the paper plate; use a bright colored ribbon to insert through the holes; make a bow and you have a basket, similar to one you would use to carry flowers! There are so many designed plates available in your local supermarket. You can dress it up however you choose.
• How about buying a plain basket at the dollar store and weaving pink or blue ribbon through the basket? You can cover the handle of the basket with ribbon as well. Instead of buying the cellophane grass; line the bottom of the basket with colorful tissue paper cut into strips – make a nest, so to speak. Fill the basket with whatever you choose.

It is doubtful you will run out of ideas, but just in case, check out these links for some other creative ideas!
Paper Bag Easter Bunny
Can Easter Basket

These tips for making your own Easter basket are just the tip of the iceberg. Get your creative juices flowing and start working...if for some reason those juices won't start, just ask your kids - they are always FULL of creativity!

Reduce the Sugar in Your Family's Diet

Does your family eat a lot of sugar? A lot of candies, processed foods and fast food make their way into your household? As more and more families search for ways to try and become healthier, one of the most commonly overlooked health concerns is sugar consumption. While this is true, there are even more ways that sugar is incorporated into your family’s diet.

Here are a few tips for you to start reducing the your family's sugar intake.

• Brown Rice – White rice contains mostly carbohydrates, which converts to sugar after consumption. Brown rice offers full nutritional value and should be chosen over white grain rice.
• Whole Fruit – Most kids love fruit juice. However, there are fruit juices on the shelves today that are loaded with sugar additives. Instead of drinking fruit juice, opt for whole fruit instead, like apples, bananas and grapes.
• Vegetables – Lots of kids fuss over eating their vegetables. Even though this might be a huge hurdle for some families, incorporating more vegetables into your meals will reduce your sugar intake by far and large. Smart vegetables include green beans, carrots, tomatoes, and squash. Be cautious not to intake too many of the starchy veggies, like potatoes and corn, which contain high amounts of sugar.
• Snack Wisely – Families tend to snack a lot—yes, even parents. Make fun, healthy snacks for your family instead of binging on junk food. For power-packed snacks that will keep away hunger, use protein. A light snack, like a turkey and cream cheese roll-up, will keep hunger at bay a lot longer than a bag of potato chips.

These tips can help you get your family on the road to a healthier lifestyle.

I've Been Blogtipped!

Ponn with Empower Women Now wrote a really nice post about me yesterday.

Thanks Ponn!

Want Some Cool Easter Crafts and Activities...You Found the Right Place!

Easter is coming soon...are you ready? I'm always on the lookout for new and fun things to do with the kids at Easter. I came across this Easter Fun Pack the other day and was so excited about it! It has some really cool and useful stuff like:

* Easter Games and Activities

* Easter Crafts to do with the Kids

* 6 Step-by-step face painting instructions to turn your little cutie into an Easter Bunny!! (photos come with it - makes it a snap)

* 16 Coloring and Activity pages that you can print out for your child to create an Easter masterpiece!

It's fun and affordable - $7 for the entire pack! Click here to check it out. It's an immediate download, so you and your kids can start the fun right now!

Happy Easter!

p.s. Do you want a FREE preview?? Here's a coloring page from the Easter Fun Pack. Just click on the "Easter Bunny with Basket" under the Coloring Pages category. It's our special gift to you!

Sibling Rivalry - What Can You Do?

Sibling rivalry is common among children. Many times when introducing a new baby into a family, the existing child will display feelings of jealousy. Even established families, with two or more children, frequently deal with rivalry between siblings. For example, I had my first two fairly close together (21 months) - they are opposite sex siblings and they FIGHT like cats and dogs.

As a parent dealing with this rivalry, you should not expect your children to overcome sibling rivalry and jealousy overnight. This is something that usually needs to be addressed on an ongoing basis, especially as your children grow older. My brother and I grew up almost as twins (he's exactly 1 year older) and we fought and fought and fought (I know the fighting between my two is God's way of paying me back). BUT...as we grew older, we really grew to appreciate the other's strengths and companionship. We became friends in high school and have remained close ever since.

One way to help your children overcome their feelings of jealousy is to spend special time with each child individually. By sharing in quality time with each child on a one-on-one basis, you let them know that they are not in competition with each other. This can be very tough to arrange - especially if you have more than 2 children, but it is worth the effort!

When you are forced to referee, allow each child a turn to speak. Listen to their opinions and give each child equal time. Many times sibling rivalries can be easily resolved by just offering an ear. Frustrated children may not always know how to express their frustrations without becoming irritated. Teach them to use their words to express their feelings to you and each other.

Above all, never take sides. The last thing you want to do alienate one of your children and give the other one the idea that you are more partial to him than the other. This will only lead to even more sibling jealousy and just escalate the situation even more.

Lastly, help your children by offering them a simple solution. Even better, offer them questions to make them think about the conflict and come up with their own solution. This will help them work on their problem-solving skills and people skills at the same time. After all, isn't the goal to raise a confident, independent individual?

Easter Ice Cream Nests

This is the perfect kid-friendly dessert. Guaranteed to be a hit!

Ingredients:
20 milk chocolate mini-eggs unwrapped
½ cup miniature marshmallows
1 tablespoon Light corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter
1 ½ cups corn flakes (crushed)
Vanilla ice cream
Chocolate syrup for topping

Directions:
Lightly grease 6 muffin cups and set aside. Microwave 12 of the 18 chocolate eggs (make sure they’re uncovered) in a microwave-safe bowl for about 1 minute (or a little less) and stir. If not fully melted microwave another 10 seconds.

Combine the butter, corn syrup and marshmallows in another bowl and microwave for about 15 seconds, stir until melted and add the melted chocolate and cereal to it. Mix the mixture well. Press mixture into the bottom and sides of the muffin cups to form a “nest” shape. Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour. Remove the nests from the muffin cups very carefully and let stand at room temperate for approximately 15 minutes.

Place a small scoop of vanilla ice cream inside each nest, top with another unwrapped chocolate egg and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

It's Spring!

What a great morning for a walk! Strolled the little one over to the sitter's house and am enjoying a nice brisk walk home. It's great working from home!



p.s. Remember to take time to smell the flowers :)

You CAN Fight the Middle Age Spread

This is it...the magical year - I'm turning 40 this fall. I'm starting to see it and maybe you are too. The Middle Age Spread!

Is this just a fact of life? I have many friends over 40 who tell me that it really is a turning point in your life emotionally AND physically. Is this something that I can fight? Are exercise and diet enough to ward off this impending doom? According to weight loss experts, it’s all in the metabolism. When you hit middle age (somewhere in the 40 range), your metabolism changes. Your body somehow puts on the brakes.

There is hope, though. Here are some tips that can help speed up your metabolism when you reach that magical age :)

Exercise
The main ingredient in increasing your metabolic rate is to increase muscle mass (which burns more calories) and, at the same time, reduces your body fat. This is not to say you should pump up your muscles to such an extent that you redefine your body image; but it is a well known fact that without exercise, you lose muscle not fat. Therefore, if you wish to avoid the middle age spread, begin an exercise program which is appropriate for you. Try walking 20 minutes a day, and work up to a mile or more. If you enjoy swimming, this is another very healthy exercise which can shed those pounds. More importantly, these exercises speed up your metabolism which yield a higher rate of return. In other words, more calories will be expended after your exercise routine is finished.

Diet
Perhaps the most important key to keeping your metabolism at a higher rate is to eat low-fat foods. Combined with strong doses of protein such as fish, and leafy green vegetables, a healthy and balanced diet has proven to be the best method in which you can burn fat and gain additional energy. Leans meats, chicken and low-fat dairy products can be very beneficial in burning calories. While it is true that not everyone’s metabolism is the same, it is also true you can maintain the same metabolic rate in middle age as you did in your early adult years. A proper diet is the key.

Emotional Well-Being
Try to remain stress-free. Yoga can be a great stress reducer! It will not only improve your emotional state, but your physical being as well. We all tend to eat when stressed or depressed - that's where the term "comfort food" came from. Maintaining a balance within will deter you from eating and snacking unnecessarily.

While fighting the middle age spread may sound difficult to achieve, it doesn’t have to be. If you exercise, enhance your diet with nutritional fat burning calories, try to keep your stress level to a minimum, you can be feeling lean and mean just like you did in your twenties!

Tips On Avoiding Yeast Infections

We've all had them...we all hate them...yeast infections. If you have managed to escape the joy of one of these in your lifetime, then consider yourself very lucky! Those of us who haven't been so lucky...listen up! You know what a pain it is to get rid of one, so why not avoid one before it even starts?

Try these tips and you may just cut down on those nasty infections:

• Perfumed soaps are a no-no. They don’t lather well, but they make you skin smell great. After a week or so, you notice an itch down below that you can’t seem to get rid of. Itching turns to redness which becomes inflamed almost overnight. Perfumes may be okay for the rest of the body, but they irritate the vaginal area. Candida albicans, the fungus that causes yeast infections are allowed to grow out of control when the good bacteria of the vagina are decreased by the perfume in the soaps. Use a non-deodorant soap to clean this delicate area and rinse thoroughly.
• Avoid antibiotics when possible. Antibiotics, when taken for the full ten day course, cause vaginal yeast infections. One infection is cured, but another that is just as painful crops up. What to do? Eat yogurt. The live bacterial cultures counteract the effects of the antibiotics. As soon as your doctor prescribes an antibiotic for you, load up on the Dannon! Actually any yogurt will do. One container a day should be enough.
• Shed the wet clothing. Fungus and other kinds of bacteria love moist, wet places on the body. They are ideal spots for growth. After a day in the pool or a hard workout at the gym, change out of those damp clothes as soon as possible. You may not feel wet in the vaginal area after a workout, but if you are sweating heavily everywhere else, you are damp there, too.
• Tighter is not better. Tight fitting underwear and pants increase the heat in the vaginal area. There is no way for air to circulate and keep the genitals cool and dry. Loosen up, literally. Choosing cotton underwear over nylon will absorb the wetness and keep it away from the body. Pants don’t have to be baggy, but they should have room to breathe.
• Put away that vinegar and water. Many women feel the need to cleanse their vaginal area after their menstrual period. There are several kinds of douches and sprays on the market for that purpose. My gynecologist told me that there was no need to use anything but plain soap and water to clean the vaginal area. Using a cleansing product internally upsets the acidic environment of the vagina, wiping out the natural bacteria.

Vaginal yeast infections are not life threatening, but they can interrupt your daily life. Pass these tips along to the young ladies in your household too. If they begin to follow these simple tips and incorporate them into their daily hygiene regimen, they can live their life hopefully yeast-free!

Thumbs Up Thursday - Lessons from the Scrapbook Page

Thumbs Up Thursday is here and I've got a great one for you. Tasra with Lessons from the Scrapbook Page has got it all together! Tasra has a lot of experience to offer her readers of this blog. She's an author, a podcaster, a personal discovery coach and speaker.

One particular post that really hit home with me was A Simple Strategy to Help You Organize Your Life.

Just last week I was struggling with some inner turmoil (falling into the rut of being a SuperMom and losing my identity). It took a swift kick in the butt from my really good friend to put me back on track and start getting back to ME.

Tasra does the same thing in this post with an inspiring video to back it up! It's about 6 minutes long - take the time and watch it...it'll help YOU get back on track.

This Designer Rocks!...or Rather Splats!

Lindsay at Splat Designs specializes in designing custom Blogger templates. She's got some really great work and she's got a great portfolio that you can check out on the site!

As you can see above - she's having a contest for a free custom template and I want to win that free template...so...mosey on over to Splat Designs and check it out.

p.s. She has some really cool FREE stuff too :)

7 Cardio Exercises - 7 Days of Fun For Your Kids!

We have become a sedentary society. What with all the T.V. shows, computer programs, and video games available now, it’s hard to get kids (and ourselves) up and moving anymore. That’s one big reason why childhood obesity is becoming more and more prevalent.

Now that the weather's getting warmer, getting your child in shape doesn’t have to be such a fight. Here are 7 ideas for 7 great days of workout fun for your kids. Why don't you join them and make it a family affair?

1. Tennis. If your child isn’t into traditional team sport, then tennis is a great alternative. It gives a great cardio workout while also working various muscle groups and improving hand-eye and overall coordination. Plus, even though your child isn’t necessarily working on a team, tennis is a great way to meet and socialize with other kids.
2. Hacky sack. This is a simple cheap way to get your kids up and moving. It also teaches coordination, balance, and helps your kids socialize and work together in a group to accomplish something. Plus, unlike most group sports, there are no teams so children are trying to beat their old records instead of trying to win.
3. Dance. Sure, you can enroll your child in dance classes, or you could just turn on the radio a couple times a week and make up silly dances to go along with the songs. This not only encourages movement, balance, and coordination, it also work out kid’s brains by getting them to be imaginative. We do this ALL of the time in our household. It not only gives us exercise, but lets us blow off some stress from the day at the same time!
4. Video games. These have gotten a bad rap in the past few years, physical video games have come a long way since the original Nintendo. Now there are tons of products available that get your child to stand up and move. One popular game series is Dance Dance Revolution (this is especially popular with our neighborhood girls). There are also games on the new Nintendo Wii system that encourage physical movement. These are a fun entertaining way for your kids to get a workout while they play video games.
5. Soccer. There’s a reason there are so many soccer moms around - because these moms know that soccer is a great way for children to get their heart rate up, improve their footwork skills, learn teamwork, and have fun at the same time. Plus, if you’re worried about the problem of intense competition, there are many areas with leagues that don’t keep score. This has been and still is a great way for your kids to stay in shape.
6. Swimming. Doing laps is a great way to get an aerobic workout without causing a lot of wear and tear on your child’s growing bones and joints. It’s fantastic and increasing endurance and stamina. Plus, a pool is a great place for them to hang out, play, and meet new kids in the neighborhood during the summer.
7. Jumping rope. This is a great workout whether it’s done the traditional way, or the newer more faced paced version. This can help your child meet new people, and some areas even have it as a competitive sport.

There you go - 7 ideas make for one great week of working out. Get out and have some fun!

Happy Rotten Sneaker Day!

Today is National Rotten Sneaker Day.

WHOOPEE! EVERY day at my house is Rotten Sneaker Day...and it's not just the boys, mind you...the girls contribute their share too.

We have the best time with the youngest - when she was a baby and I would change her diaper, I would grab her feet, put them to my nose and say "Pee-You!" When she was really young, she would smile...as she got a little bit older, she would giggle...and a little bit older, she would let out a huge guffaw! Now, she is forever taking her socks and shoes off (she comes by that honestly - I love walking around in my bare feet too), she lays down on her back and sticks her feet in the air..."Smell my feet mama!"

What does this lovely little anecdote have to do with Rotten Sneaker Day? She has REALLY SMELLY FEET! No doubt due to her REALLY SMELLY SNEAKERS!

So, as a tribute to this lovely holiday, I will take all of the yucky sneakers in our house and put them in the washing machine. If that doesn't help - I will have to resort to throwing them away in the trash ...I couldn't subject anyone else to the nasty hand-me-downs.

PEE-YOU!

Need Some Alternatives to Easter Candy?

Every year moms try to decide what to give their kids for Easter. No doubt the kids would prefer candy and chocolate, but if you're feeling that the kids are getting too much of a bad thing on a daily or weekly basis, there are some other alternatives to put in Easter baskets this year.

Fill their baskets with some of these:

• Fruits and cookies
• Mini boxes of raisins and low fat candies
• Hand puppets - they can make their own play!
• Stuffed bunny rabbits and jelly beans (no fat and low in calories)
• Brightly colored plastic eggs with coins inside each egg (kids love money!)
• Coloring books and crayons
• Small toys from the dollar store
• Bubbles
• Books (all ages love these)
• Puzzles
• Scrapbooking kit and disposable camera
• Snack size packages of Goldfish crackers
• Play-Doh (brings back memories, doesn't it?)
• Sugarfree gum for the older ones
• Packages of baseball cards (or in my house Yu-Gi-Oh! cards)

There are lots of alternatives to filling the baskets high with unhealthy candy...be creative and use your imagination!

Does Your Family Have a First Aid Kit?

Whether it’s the recent rash of violent storms which have plagued our country, or unavoidable accidents in the home; having a first aid kit is essential to treat anyone in your family at a moment’s notice.

Does your family have a first aid kit? If not, you can either buy a kit already equipped for home use or take a little time to put one together. Here are some items you will need:

• Bandages of different sizes, including triangular
• Tape, preferably adhesive
• Alcohol wipes (which you can buy by the box)
• Antibiotic ointment or creams (Neosporin)
• Disposable Ice Packs
• Disposal latex gloves
• Gauze pads of various sizes (including a roll of self-adhesive gauze)
• Tylenol, Advil and Aspirin
• Ipecac
• Antihistamine
• Epinephrine
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Safety Pins

While you may have most of these supplies in your medicine cabinet, it is a safety measure to be able to access these items if they were in one container. If there was an emergency, such as the recent rash of snowstorms and hurricanes in the U.S., this would be the first item you would need to grab as you exit your home. Perhaps your child fell off his bike and is badly hurt, having this kit immediately available can same him a great deal of pain until you rush him to a hospital or clinic.

You can also add to the kit any items you feel necessary. Maybe some things you didn’t have in the past when confronted with a home accident, sudden illness, or child injury. If your local community offers a one day course on first aid, which also includes CPR training, it would be a good idea for the entire family to participate. When faced with any life threatening situation at home, at least you will be prepared and have whatever you need to assist your loved ones.

Inexpensive Easter Gift Ideas for Kids

As kids, we loved Easter, right? It was especially fun not only coloring Easter eggs but hunting for them in the morning. Mom always found neat places to hide them.

We used to have baskets every year - the Easter Bunny would hide them and we would have a ball trying to figure out where they were hidden.

Easter has come a long way since we were kids! Everything seems to be large and very expensive! It doesn't have to be that way. You can still provide a really good time for the kids without breaking the bank. I've put together 7 inexpensive ideas that will bring a smile to the little ones' faces on Easter morning:

1. For your younger children, you can put together an Easter basket filled with homemade cookies; Easter coloring books and crayons; and, of course, a small and inexpensive chocolate Easter Bunny.

2. Another favorite treat for kids is the very popular marshmallow chicks. These have been around since we were kids, and these are sure to be a hit with yours, too! You can add these to a small basket; take different colored tissue paper and cut them into strips to make a nest; line the basket; add the chicks along with a small bag of jelly beans, and some chocolate Easter eggs.

3. If you want to cut down on the number of sweets your child eats, you can buy an Easter basket and some straw, and fill it with little toys from the dollar store. You may even want to include a few kids’ books as well.

4. How about an Easter basket filled with cookies shaped like eggs and bunnies. You can use different color icing to decorate the eggs and bunnies. This is one gift your kids will love!

5. How about making a bunny cake! Have the entire family participate in molding, shaping and icing the bunny. Let your imagination run wild with this fun activity. Or you could make girl and boy bunny cakes for the kids and present it to them on Easter morning. What a surprise that would be!

6. String up jelly bean necklaces and bracelets for your kids to wear. Tell your kids there is an island where visitors are greeted with jellybean jewelry.

7. You can purchase inexpensive bunny ears for your kids to wear. They can hop around the house while hunting for those Easter eggs. Make a game of it.

Okay, I've started with the first 7 ideas - now it's YOUR turn. Leave some comments and let's build this list to help all moms out this Easter!

This is all lots of fun, but please remember to share the REAL REASON why we celebrate Easter!

What is Your Filing Status?

In my tax-paying lifetime, I've been just about every category of filing status as you can be. It CAN be very confusing to determine what your status might be. To begin with, your income tax filing status is based upon whether or not you are single, married, or widowed. It is important as it pertains to the correct amount of tax being deducted from your paycheck. Let’s go over each filing status to give you a clear picture of your options.

According to the Internal Revenue Service:
* A single person can claim single status if unmarried, divorced or legally separated.
* If you are married, you and your spouse may file a joint return.
* If you are married, but wish to file a separate return, you can.
* To claim head of household, you must be unmarried and pay more than half the cost of maintaining the home for you and a qualified person.
* If you are a widow or widower, and if your spouse died in 2006, you can use married jointly as your filing status for 2006. Note: The year of death is the last year for which you can file jointly with your deceased spouse.

While there are new tax changes every year, the filing status seems to be the same. To determine what type of filing status is best for you, talk to your tax professional or visit the IRS site online here. However, it should be noted that the information supplied by the IRS may take quite a bit of time to read and digest.

It's true what they say, “there are only two things you can count on in life; death and taxes.”

Get a jump on filing your taxes by gathering all of your papers and make an appointment with your tax professional today!

St. Patrick's Day is Coming! Can You Get Your Kids to Eat Their Greens??

Brought to you by Kid Approved Meals

Take time this St. Patrick's Day to get some green foods into your kids (and, no, I'm not talking about cupcakes with green frosting). ;) Create an entire "green" meal for your kids, in honor of the leprechauns.

Here are some ideas:

• Broccoli with Ranch dressing (or Green dressing)
• Sliced Kiwi
• Avocados
• Asparagus
• Green apple slices
• Green grapes
• Cucumber slices
• Peas or Snow Pea Pods
• Green Beans

Have fun with it, come up with some other "green" ideas and forward them on to me...I'd love to add to the list!

Be proud of your kids for trying new foods, especially if they are normally picky eaters.

We hope you enjoy your green meal!
(And, thank you, again, to Kid Approved Meals for giving us the ideas!)

Thumbs Up Thursday - Busy Mama's Guides

This week's Thumbs Up Thursday goes out to Kristy Shreve Powers - she's definitely a Busy Mama! She provides Busy Mama Guides as blog posts. They come in small increments so they can be read and digested easily and quickly - before the baby has time to pull that lamp down on top of himself!

One particular post that caught my eye was this one:
Kristy Shreve Powers: Busy Mama's Survey Question: Do Your Kids Watch TV?
Thought provoking stuff - check it out and also check out the comments left by quite a few people.

You want my take on TV for kids? Well - I grew up watching TV. Sesame Street had just come out...Mr. Rogers was very popular...and who can forget the ever-popular Electric Company? Love Morgan Freeman to this day! All of these shows I mentioned are educational shows too. I think there can be fair balance between the good stuff and the crap on TV.

We limit our older 2 kids to one hour per day on their own - they usually make choices like That's So Raven, Digimon and the like. The rest of their TV time is spent with us as a family. We'll watch American Idol, Survivor or some other popular Reality Show.

The younger one takes delight in watching Sesame Street (love it!), Dora and Barney. When she was 2-1/2 years old, she started counting to me in Spanish. We're not a bi-lingual household, so I know she learned it from Dora. That's pretty cool! I can appreciate the things that she learns from these educational shows - like counting (in English and Spanish), colors, letters, songs and some good solid values. A lot of us are not fans of Barney, but you've gotta admit he does teach a lot of great stuff!

Let me know your thoughts on TV watching - I'm curious to know what you do in your house!

p.s. - I'm still up on the Top Momma site - thanks to all of you who have been voting for me :)

Day 2 - Top Momma!

Alright! My goal was to last a day and I did...baby steps, right?

If you don't know what I'm talking about, go HERE and see my pic on the front page of the Top Momma website. You stay on this front page by people clicking on your pic. Check it out and vote for me :)

Okay - next goal...you got it, stay up there for today!

Please Vote for Me!

I'm a Top Momma!

Click Here and click on my picture to vote for me.

The goal is to stay on the front page for as long as possible. I'm shooting for a day :)

This Toy is My Nemesis!

Does anybody have this game - 20 Questions???



This thing is amazing - think of anything and it will guess it in 20 questions. It's really FREAKY!

Y'all May Think I'm Crazy...

I think my previous post needs a little explanation. I was just playing around with "Mobile Blogging." This is pretty cool...I take a pic with my cell phone camera, type some text and send it to post on my blog...neat, huh?

So, you may be seeing some "mobile" stuff from me here in the near future. A way to get a little more up close and personal...

breakfast of champions

Gotta get that caffeine

Heads Up - ALL Entries Due Tomorrow

Just wanted to give you a heads up - all entries for the Mom's Niche Recipe Challenge are due TOMORROW, March 12th!!

If you've got a favorite entree or dessert - get it in to share with the rest of us.

Top Entrees will be listed in the 3/14 Mom's Niche News for everyone to try. The desserts will follow in the 3/28 issue. All GRAND PRIZE winners and their winning entry will be featured in our special Easter issue of Mom's Niche News on April 11th.

Creamy Homemade Au Gratin Potatoes

What better comfort food this time of year than potatoes? Try this recipe and let me know what you think...

Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, sliced into rings
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Boil the potatoes for 5 minutes, just until slightly tender (do not over boil). Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly butter a casserole dish and place half of the potatoes in the dish. Top with the onion slices and the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Mix the flour and salt in a separate bowl and add the milk, stir together until smooth. Then add the milk mixture to the butter and cook until mixture starts to thicken. Stir in cheese and quickly stir until melted. Pour cheese over potatoes, cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil.

Bake approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour until golden and bubbly.

Easy Crafts for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is March 17th!!

St. Patrick’s Day is almost here ( a week from Saturday to be exact). Want to have some fun with your kids?

Here are some easy St. Patrick’s Day crafts for you to try:

1. Buy green construction paper and trace shamrocks from either a coloring book or a template online, and make a string of shamrocks to hang in your home.

2. You can’t celebrate the day without hats! You can easily make St. Patrick’s Day hats by using construction paper. While there are tons of templates available online, you can accomplish this task easily. Take two pieces of green construction paper and tape them together forming about a 14” long piece. Fold it into a circle and tape one side to the other. Take another piece of green construction paper to make the top of the hat by using a paper plate to trace a circle. Cut it out and use clear tape to attach it to the top of the hat.

Next, you’ll need to make the brim of the hat. Again, using green construction paper; cut out a larger circle and apply glue so that the hat will attach itself to the brim. Finally, you need the buckle to place just above the brim of the hat. For this you can use brown construction paper and cut a wide strip and glue or tape it to the hat.

3. In addition, you may want to assist your kids in making a rainbow Jello mold. You can even make a pot of gold using yellow apples! Or how about the old standby; cupcakes with green icing, with a shamrock cookie on top! (You could also go the easier route and make the Pillsbury already cut and bake style with the shamrock - just as much fun with the kids...and the cookies ROCK!)

There is no end to the many creative and imaginative ideas you can incorporate when engaging in a fun activity such as decorations for St. Patrick’s Day. Put on some of your favorite festive music, dance around and have a great time!

Ever Had Caffeine Withdrawal? Learn to Recognize It!

Millions of people worldwide use caffeine every morning to give themselves that extra boost they need to start their day. In fact, caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world, even more than alcohol. I, for one am guilty. I started drinking coffee actually pretty late in life (I was about 25), but now I'm hooked! The only times that I cut off my caffeine intake were the 3 times that I was pregnant. Right after the baby was born - right back to it.

The problem is, too much caffeine can not only leave you feeling buzzed; it can cloud your mind when it starts to wear off and may cause permanent physical damage by increasing your heart rate. While the healthiest option is to stop using caffeine altogether, cutting off your supply can cause a host of withdrawal symptoms.

Caffeine is a stimulant, it wakes you up and helps keep your mind sharp. This means that if your body is used to caffeine and stops getting its daily dose, you’ll likely be tired and find it difficult to concentrate. Many people who abruptly stop caffeine find themselves barely able to stay awake and even harder to stay on track. They often make more mistakes at work.

Caffeine withdrawal can cover a wide variety of physical and emotional symptoms such as:

Physical Withdrawal Symptoms
* Loss of concentration or focus
* Headaches - usually a dull, generalized pain rather than anything sharp and focused.
* Muscle soreness or stiffness
* Chills
* Hot spells.

Emotional Withdrawal Symptoms
* Irritability
* Restlessness
* Depression
* Feeling of anxiousness

Everyone’s response to caffeine withdrawal is different. It depends on your own personal physiology as well as how much caffeine you were consuming per day. Symptoms can range from annoying to debilitating. If your symptoms are mild, you may be able to quit cold turkey. For those with a severe addiction, suddenly stopping caffeine intake may be unbearable.

The best way to avoid these withdrawal symptoms is to slowly cut down on caffeine instead of quitting cold turkey. While pain killers may take care of some of the problems, there is no magic pill or any other cure for withdrawal symptoms besides time. If your symptoms are minor, you may be able to quit all at once, but it your symptoms are severe, you should decrease slowly for your own safety.

Taxes - Should I Hire Someone?

It's that time of year again...

I'm sure you've seen the commercials touting tax preparation software. In fact, have you seen the commercial promoting the do-it-yourself tax software wherein the husband says, “Uh Oh…?” Apparently he runs into a problem, and his wife picks up the software box and says, “Hello, can you help us?” Funny; but true. All too often, we think we can save money by preparing our own taxes, but then the “Uh Oh” factor rears its ugly head.

So the question is: Do I need to hire a tax professional?

The answer is: it depends.

Check out some of the reasons why you would hire a tax professional:
* If you are not fully familiar with how to prepare taxes.
* If you do not understand the tax code in your state.
* If you have to itemize your deductions.
* If you do not want to deal with the IRS one on one.
* If you own a business.
* If you don’t understand the questions on the tax form.
* If you have stocks, bonds or other mutual funds.
* If you’re retired and are unsure of your tax status.
* If you’ve researched online, but are more confused by the answers than ever.

There are so many things you may not be aware of that can save you time, money and a headache that won’t quit by hiring a tax professional. Perhaps you’ve always had your taxes done by a professional who knows you, the state of your finances, and who is better equipped to handle your taxes. Quite frankly, if this is case, you are better off.

With tax laws constantly changing, isn’t it better to put yourself in the hands of someone who is knowledgeable in this area, than stressing over what and how to do it yourself?

While some people have the innate ability to use the tax software available successfully, there is an old adage that says, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

On a personal note: I hire a tax professional. Why?
1. I answered "yes" to almost every one of the factors listed above.
2. It saves me time and headache.
3. The money is WELL SPENT!

What are some of the reasons that you use (or don't use) a tax professional?

The "Bootie-Shakin' Trash Can"

THIS is what happens when you have a 3-yr old in the same house with a 9 and 11-yr old...

A couple of months ago I was shopping in Costco with my mom-in-law and Little Livvie. We walked down one aisle past a trash can and it opened up by itself. COOL! We sat and looked at it (and played with it) for a few minutes...it was stainless steel and around $40. It was JUST what I needed since the older kids had broken the other stainless steel trash can that cost me $70 about 6 months before.

This is the coolest trash can - it has a sensor (an "eye") that knows when you are approaching and want to throw something away.

We got the trash can home, put the batteries in and began to test. When the older kids came home from school, Livvie just had to show them this new invention that was going to change our world. In fact, we became the talk of the neighborhood with this trash can. We realized that most times when the taller people just walk by, the can opened up. (Side note - my Little Livvie loves to dance around the room to music and shake her BOOTIE.) She began walking up to the trash can, turning around and shaking her bootie. Being 3, she's a little short to reach the sensor, so we would wave our hand in front of it and she thought she was opening up the trash can by herself.

One evening, a couple of nights after purchasing, our neighbor came over to check out what all of the buzz was about. We had to show her this wonderful new addition to our lives. As she was walking out the door...Livvie in all of her 3-yr old wisdom said "Hey Carla, look, it's the Bootie-Shakin' Trash Can."

:)

Thumbs Up Thursday - Play Library

It's Thursday - time for another "Thumbs Up." This week's nod goes to Play Library.

Play Library is written by Kerri Aldrich and Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei. They write about everything and anything that might be fun to do with your kids, or that your children might find entertaining, as well as share bits of news and information that might be helpful for parents and caregivers to know. Play Library : Two mommies chatting about kids’ toys, games, books, and just fun stuff to do.

Here are some of cool posts from Play Library that you must check out!

Strawberry Shortcake Dance Dance Revolution - this is the ultrapopular interactive video game - throw Strawberry Shortcake into the mix and your young ones will have as much fun as the older ones do!
How to Make Balloon Animals - Cool video!

Also - Some great categories - I couldn't even choose a particular post:
Nostalgia Toys
Baby Things
Board Games and Other Games for Kids

Lots of great information...check it out!

Potty Training - Open to Suggestions

Potty training...anybody have any good suggestions? You would think since I've been down this road two times before, that I would know what to do...WRONG!

My youngest just turned three last week. She has always been very verbal and able to communicate. We never went through that frustrating time with trying to find words and throwing tantrums when said words couldn't be found. So, I'm thinking..."life has been a breeze with her for the first three years, why would potty training be any different?"

HAHA, was I in for a RUDE AWAKENING!

She has been using Pull-Ups, and pretty successfully, for the last year or so. We've been talking about becoming a "big girl" with this birthday and even got some Dora underwear in the stocking from Santa.

This past Friday, I decided it was time. She was home with me for the day and we would have a 3-day weekend to work on it. We traded in the Pull-Ups for Dora. I quickly became aware that my little angel's halo was slipping and she was going to put me to the test. All of a sudden she became defiant - I would tell her to go sit on the potty..."No, I don't want to" - EVERY time I put her on the potty this happens. We go through a HUGE power struggle and I'm trying like hell not to let her win.

This is the kicker right here...she goes to a private babysitter 3-4 days during the week. This babysitter has been taking care of her since she was about 10 months old. She's awesome. Livvie loves her and everything is hunky dory.

I'm getting to my point...the babysitter tells her to go sit on the potty...AND SHE GOES AND SITS ON THE POTTY. She even pulls her own pants down, does her thing, pulls her pants back up, washes her hands and BOOM, she's successfully gone to the bathroom by herself.

Of course, I'm thinking I'm the biggest failure of a mom who ever lived. This shouldn't be that tough..I'm smart, educated...and for God's sakes - I'm 36 years older than this child!

Okay mommies out there - this is an official cry for help.

I'm looking for some great advice...don't let me down now.

Update: it's now two days later and we've had TWO DRY DAYS!! All day long...even through nap time. Maybe I was wrong...maybe I AM a genius after all :)

Update - 8 days later: Okay - I want to thank everyone for the kind words and advice, but I really think we have this thing licked! She has had 1 accident since this past Saturday. She is still wearing the Pull-Up for nighttime (and she's been dry all night a couple of times), but she's "big girl underwear" all during the daylight hours. WOOHOO!!

Appetizers Being Featured Today!

If you want to keep up with the Mom's Niche Recipe Challenge, sign up in the right column of this blog for our free newsletter. This week's issue will feature our 3 semifinalists in the Appetizer category. Sign up here -------------------->

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* product reviews
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Kids CAN Help Out With Chores!

It’s never too early to ask your kids to help you with chores around the house. You can even start as early as two years old. While children mature at different rates, you can still determine what age appropriate chores are best suited for toddlers, kids, tweens and teens. Here's a little guide to help you:

Toddlers - These little balls of fire can certainly help you around the house. Start by giving them some of these simple tasks: making the bed; picking up their toys; feeding the family pet; helping you put laundry into the basket; or cleaning up split milk on the kitchen floor. These chores would be most suited to two and three year olds. You can teach your toddlers to do their chores by making a game out of it or singing a song while completing each task. It will give them a sense of pride and accomplishment. Yes, even at that young age.

4's and 5's - You can ask them to help you: set the table; dust around the house; help make cookies; help you carry grocery bags (as long as you make it light for them).

6 thru 8's - This age can really dig into the chores by: taking care of the pet they’ve always wanted; helping you vacuum the floor; taking out the trash or folding the laundry. You can even ask them to help you prepare meals. Think of the experience they are getting at this early age.

Tweens (9-12) - This age group really has their work cut out for them. Some of the more vigorous chores can be relegated to outside work: rake the leaves; wash the car; help clean out the garage. If you need help inside the house, they can certainly help you prepare meals; dust and vacuum the house; wash dishes or clean the bathroom. Certainly they would be old enough to make their beds; clear their room of debris; organize their toys, etc...

Teens - These 13's and up tend to pose a different problem altogether. Sometimes they are willing to help, and other times not. It depends on how you’ve raised them. If they have been helping out since they were two, you won’t have a problem. In fact, they can do almost anything you ask of them. Be sure they can manage whatever task you assign, however. If you’ve taught them well, they have the ability to prepare meals; clean the kitchen; wash windows; do the laundry; just about any indoor and outdoor chore you need.

It's important to build your child's self-esteem and self-worth by teaching them to be independent at a very young age. This can be accomplished with the assignments of age-appropriate chores and LOTS of guidance :)

Don't Forget...Mom's Niche Recipe Challenge!

Don't forget to post your favorite recipe on the Mom's Niche Recipe site.

The deadline for appetizers is this Monday...Feb. 26th.

Just follow the rules HERE!

Product Review - Crayola Color Wonder

Product: Crayola Color Wonder products

Rating: 12 out of 10!

Review: Have you seen this stuff? I swear, this is the best invention since Velcro sneakers!

My daughter received some of the Crayola Color Wonder markers, finger paints, themed coloring books (Little Mermaid and Backyardigans) and drawing paper for her birthday yesterday. This stuff is SO COOL! You can color and paint without making a mess. She is just infatuated with the MAGIC and I'm excited about the clean hands. These fingerpaints are really cool too. You just dip your fingertip in and color the page - magically, the color appears on the paper.

I don't know how it works, but I LOVE IT!

Thumbs Up Thursday - The Serious Shopper

This week's "thumbs up" goes to Robyn at The Serious Shopper. She is very enlightened in the shopping arena. She's got some great advice for shopping with a fun and easy-to-read style of writing!

One particular post that caught my eye was how to best Maximize Your Credit Card Points. I like my reward-air-miles-from-my-Visa-card as much as the next person, but after reading this post, I found there are other ways that I could be cashing in on the reward points. She suggests using one card to pay your monthly bills and another card for regular purchases during the month. This is GENIUS...why didn't I think of this before?

She made her point a couple of times and I would say you need to HEED THIS ADVICE. If you're going to start paying your regular bills with a credit card - PAY IT OFF EVERY MONTH so you don't accrue interest. Otherwise, you'll be negating the reason why you're doing it in the first place.

The Serious Shopper is informative and fun - it's worth a second look...and a third...and a fourth :)

Now, I'm off to earn money to pay off my credit cards so I can begin maximizing my reward points...

Happy Birthday!

My baby is turning 3 years old today. At this time, three years ago, my water had broken and I was on my way to the hospital. She came three weeks early, but I was glad because she was already 8 lbs, 6 oz and she really didn't need to be any bigger! She was an easy pregnancy, an easy delivery and has been a joy to have around ever since.

Happy Birthday Livvie...we love you!

Chocolate Banana Mousse

We're due for another recipe...

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons low-fat milk
4 teaspoons sugar
1 medium banana, cut into quarters
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
Banana slices for garnishing

Instructions:
Place the milk, vanilla, sugar, cocoa powder and banana quarters in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and gently mix in the yogurt. Chill until set. Spoon mixture into serving bowls and top with banana slices.

If this looks good, check out our other recipes at Mom's Niche Recipes. Don't forget to enter our recipe challenge!

10 Easy Steps to Organizing Your Garage

The weekend is here and now you can dedicate the time that you want to organize the garage. You've even enlisted the aid of your entire family to help you. You and your husband gather the children, open the garage door and are pleasantly surprised. It's actually in pretty good shape...at least one of the cars still fits. Here are some quick garage organizing tips which may help you fit that other one in there!

What you'll need:
Large boxes
Large garbage bags
Duct tape
Cord or twine
Hooks and shelving

Steps:
1. Take everything out of the garage (including the car)!

2. Set up three areas in your driveway
a. items to keep
b. items to throw away (or give away to charity)
c. items to sell

3. As you remove each item from the garage, place it in one of the three areas.

4. After you have decided what to keep, place the items back in the garage using the hooks for hanging and the shelves for storing.

5. Clean the inside of the garage as much as possible - clearing away debris, dirt and dust.

6. For those items you wish to sell, pack them neatly in the boxes and tie them with cord. Mark the box or boxes "For Sale."

7. Put all of the items you are throwing away into the garbage bags. Be sure to double up on the bags, and separate the items according to your local Sanitation Department's recycling policies.

8. If you have any clothes in the throw-away pile, put them in the garbage bags and call your local Goodwill center or church for pick-up.

9. Place the "For Sale" boxes back in the garage off to the side. Prepare to hold a garage sale the following weekend if you can.

10. Pull the other car back in - after all...it IS a 2 car garage!
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What you have just read is an excerpt from the new book "Organize Your Home...Organize Your Life!" from MomsNiche.com. You'll find helpful tips on how to organize every room in your house...AND you'll get a special bonus with cleaning tips too! This book will bring a new meaning to SPRING CLEANING!

The book is set to be released in March. I'll keep you posted!

Enjoy Them While They're Young

I had the joy of taking my almost 3-yr-old to the Children's Museum this morning. We were lucky to have a little one-on-one time to ourselves.

We had a blast painting, picking apples, shopping in the pretend grocery store, catching butterflies with our shadows, sending blocks down a water slide, putting puzzles together and marching in a parade with the resident red dinosaur, Seymour!

I just loved watching her face and having a conversation with her through our whole trip.

The moments are fleeting...and FAST! I hope you are enjoying yours as much I am mine :)