The Tip Spot

Final Post for the Tip Spot Gals

2009-01-15T07:56:00.003-07:00

Hey Readers,

Christy and I have decided to stop posting at The Tip Spot. We have had a great time for the last 10 months sharing our tips and hearing yours. Now, we have lives that are busy and getting busier and the blogging world just isn't for us right now.

Thank you for sharing your friends and family with us, for coming by and participating in our little sisterhood project.

We will leave the blog up for a few months, so dig into the archives for great tips from the past!

Christy and I both keep personal blogs (the kind with cuttie pictures of our kids) so feel free to pop on over here to Christy's or Lizzy's to keep in touch.

Organize the Freezer?

2009-01-13T17:05:00.003-07:00

Image from goodhousekeeping.com

Freezers tend to turn into hiding places for bags of veggies, half eaten chocolate bars and old (old!) leftovers. Good Housekeeping reminds us to toss anything past its expiration date. And while you are in there, give the ice box a good wipe out.

Check out 24 other good ideas for organizing at GoodHousekeeping.com.

Lizzy's Favorite Kitchen Tip

2009-01-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

Every other Friday night is PANCAKE NIGHT at our house (the other Friday's are pizza night). To make the eating process a bit easier for the small hands at our house, I make the pancakes dippin' size. No cutting for me, no sticky forks for the kids. My folks called these silver dollar pancakes. I call them awesome!

To make your pancakes a bit healthier, add 1 cup of sweet potato puree. You can make your own puree or buy it canned. We call these "pumpkin" pancakes at our house.

Reader Favorites

2009-01-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

It seems that all our comments from readers suggest a good face lotion. Whether it's Oil of Olay or Clinique, or another brand, it is important to find one that works for you. A tip I learned while ago regarding lotions: if it stings going on, there is a good chance that you are sensitive to the SPF ingredients. Try switching to a lower SPF, it might make a difference. Also, nothing beats putting healthy things in our bodies to help it glow on the outside. Drink plenty of water and avoid processed foods as much as possible to help lower the amount of excess sodium (which leads to the puffiness factor). Thanks for all the comments!

Kindergarten Box

2009-01-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

Once my daughter began bringing home, art projects, journals, and class work galore, all equally adored by her; I knew I needed to find a way to tackle the kindergarten keepsakes. I located a photo box I had stashed away, sharpied on her name, school year, and teacher's name and started her first memory box.

Now when turkeys, pumpkin poems and hand print art comes home, it gets hung on the project wall for a bit then Afton and I choose a few special pieces to keep in her box.

Lizzy's Favorite Beauty Products

2009-01-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

Apparently I'm not a brand loyalist when it comes to beauty products. My favorite beauty products tend to change. Here are a few things that are staples in my bathroom cabinet:

Rubbing Alcohol

I actually use rubbing alcohol in lieu of deodorant. It kills the germs that cause the stink without ruining clothes or adding another layer of perfumey smell. I've been using this technique for 5 months and people still want to stand close to me!

Neutrogena Face Bar

I've used this bar to wash my face for over 10 years. It takes the make up off and is gentle. Bonus: my husband uses it too. I love that one $3.00 bar lasts me 6 months.

Bath and Body Works Body Cream

I love love love the richness of this lotion that also smells delicious! My hubby gave me a gift card to pick some new scents out and right now these are on sale for $6, so I think I'll go stock up for the year.

One more: trendy eyeshadow. No brand preference for me on this item, I just love getting new eyeshadow a couple times a year in up to date colors. Santa brought me a nice black, silver, white palette that I'm loving!

Tippin' Tuesday

2009-01-06T09:56:00.001-07:00

vicks.com

The tip today comes from our Uncle Fred, and is very handy with the colds rampant in my house and across the country!

During a lecture on Essential Oils, they told us how the foot soles can absorb oils. Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within 20 minutes you can 'taste' it. Some of us have used Vicks Vapo rub for years for everything from chapped lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. But I've never heard of this. And don't laugh, it works 100% of the time, although the scientists who discovered it aren't sure why. To stop night time coughing in a child (or adult as we found out personally), put Vicks Vapo rub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime, then cover with socks. Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. Works 100% of the time and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly. Just happened to tune in A.M. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good, due to the chemical makeup of these strong drugs so, I listened. It was a surprise finding and found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bedtime, in addition to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly. My wife tried it on herself when she had a very deep persistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100%! She said that it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a few minutes and believe me, this was a deep, (incredibly annoying!) every few seconds uncontrollable cough, and she slept cough-free for hours every night that she used it.

I used this with Haven last week, and it wasn't perfect BUT helped a lot! Also checked it out on snopes.com, where it is listed as "undetermined". No real medical findings, but my little test at home showed it's at least worth buying a jar and giving it a try! A fabulous tip from our great uncle!

Favorite Things: Beauty Products

2009-01-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

This week Lizzy and I are going to share with you some our favorite beauty products. And we would love for you to email some of YOURS as well, and on Friday we will post them. Here goes...

Biosilk silk therapy goes anywhere! Put on wet hair, dry hair, even your skin. This stuff rocks! Essentially feels like soft water, and you don't need much. I bought a gift pack for a great price at Target, but you can get it several places online. Can be spendy, so shop around...

You see this stuff at the malls, and usually the sales-people are on the annoying side, BUT some of their stuff is ripe for the pickin'! I got hassled into these nail packs, but I really do love the nail file and the lotion. The up-side: soft and shiny nails, cuticles and hands. The down: must remember to do it every 2 weeks. When I have a brain, my hands feel like butter! AND this is the giveaway prize for the service project this month!! That's right that whole set pictured is up for grabs. Yea for you!

I am a mascara girl. Always. And I recently switched from my fave brand of several years to this CoverGirl Lash Blast when it came out a few months ago. I will not go back to my old ways. Smooth, not too thick, love it! I did have difficulty getting used to the bristles on the wand. They are closer than they appear, and I got poked in the eye a few times before I got it right...and who couldn't use a bit more orange in their make-up bag?

This little bottle is joy. Actual happiness. Or at least what I imagine happy smells like, for a good price. Find all the Dove Body Sprays by the deoderant, but I think this grapefruit scent is perfect for everyday use. Spray your bra, spray your arms, spray your hair if you ran out of time to shampoo. SO many uses. And my 10 year-old daughter loves it too!

I have a really hard time with face make-up. First off, I have combination, highly sensitive skin. Next up: a few scars from various acne episodes and other moments of pain. Summer is a bit easier for me, but winter is blah-time. I have to wear coverage all-over or I might as well be wearing a scary costume well after Halloween. I must share then, that I am in love with this pixi
illuminating tint and conceal. There is a tube of face tint that is very light, and can be layered for extra coverage, and it has these fantastic little "somethings" that make my face all glow-y. I just feel pretty wearing it. To make it even easier, the cap is a concealing stick. Perfect. On the spendy side, but for 2 products not too bad. For me, it is a steal. No more itching, weird rashes, odd redness, periodic hives, extra break-outs (who needs THOSE?) or totally the wrong shade. Face, done.

I shared mine, so please share yours!

Monthly Service

2009-01-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

We thought we would start off our new project a little calmly. Seeing as how January is full of people trying to better the home and body and mind, we didn't want to cause any overload. So, our first service task is: a random act. Just do something for someone else that you don't know very well. Not too difficult. If you have kids that can help, get them involved too! Please remember to be safe, and to share with us your stories and any pictures you might have. Go ahead and email them to us anytime this month, before the 28th. We will randomly select a winner and post a few of the stories during the final week of January. The prize will be announced in a following posting! It's one of my favorite things...

Happy January

2009-01-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

cattycamehome flickr.com

Happy January! We have a fun month planned with lots of sharing from both Lizzy and I, and of course we always love to hear from YOU as well! Here is the rundown for this month:

*sharing our fave's! (fave products, recipes, past postings etc)
*starting a new tradition around here: the monthly service act
*still answering your questions, and sharing your advice

Each week Lizzy and I will share our favorite "somethings" with you, and we'd love for you to comment or email us your fave's of the same topic, and we will share those each friday with all the readers. Then, and I am super excited about this, each month starting with January, we will post a service project idea/charity organization that we as the tipspot family will try to help out with. If you decide to participate in any way, email us with your stories, and pic's and at the end of the month we will share them with everyone here on the tipspot. We really want to help you guys get organized and get some more giving out there to people who need or don't expect it. And to show your appreciation, you might just win a prize! This month I will be donating one of the products I love as the giveaway (more info on that later on), and hopefully each month we will have something to offer as a bit of an incentive to try and help some people out a little more than usual. We are open to those items, and if you have a product you make and would like to offer it as a giveaway, email us! We'd love to spotlight some new mom's with a crafty flair. Or if you have a new product you would like to donate to the cause, that you think is fantastic, that is perfectly excellent as well! Yea for the New Year, and yea for you readers too!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

usps.com

Happy New Year! Stay tuned for great new stuff from the fabulous tipspot!

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE!

2008-12-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

vintage photo: 1907, the first time the ball dropped!

If you happen to have a bunch of people coming to your house tonight for a party, or you are lucky enough to find a sitter and be going out, please have a fun night and be SAFE! We want all of you guys back here tomorrow reading our great stuff sans casts or car damage. Also, if you still need a few ideas for some activities for your party check out this site, for some fun games. I am lovin the cherry one! HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!

Simple Service And Tippin' Tuesday

2008-12-30T05:52:00.000-07:00

If you and your family are interested in donating money to a charitable organization, that is great! But, you should probably do a bit of homework to make sure that the designated charity is legitimate, and not into anything that you would be uncomfortable with. I found a few spots that can help you decide (hopefully easier) if that organization you want to help out, is worth your money. Here they are:

*charitywatch.org: the American Institue of Philanthropy has a grading system based on several items, including the % of money donated that is ACTUALLY used for that charity.
*charitynavigator.org: also has a stringent grading scale; links to many charities along with links to similar ones, so you can find an organization like one you are already donating to.
*the Better Business Bureau is always a handy to place check out ANY business.
*charity-charities.org: is an international database with TONS of charities. A good place to start looking for an organization, but use one of the above mentioned site to gather more information.
*also, don't forget your local church. The one you attend, or the one around the corner, is certain to have needs open for the filling!

I hope this helps those of you who have the desire to donate funds to a local charity, let's all keep on giving anyway that we can!

Simple Service

2008-12-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

image from stonebriar.org

I want to have my family do service. Lots. And different kinds so they get to have a wide-range of experiences. But honestly, I am all flustered up-on-top, and so I often space even the most basic of tasks (dinner?) and trying to think of interesting things to do with my children can be arduous at times. So I am totally excited to tell you about this website that I found: doinggoodtogether.org, is a site that has tools to help you find service in your area, in a variety of categories. There is a special one for holiday giving, one for random acts (the easiest option to get your family going) and several others. You can choose to click on the family category or one of the many additional ones. For example, if you have a playgroup that you participate with, you can use the parent/community group choice to help your band of merry-makers find something you can all do together. Everyone wants to help out, and I know it can be difficult to plan something along with all the other feats you are undertaking in your homes. So, use this site to get you going, and maybe your family can achieve more giving in this upcoming New Year!

Sibling Gifts: fabric markers

2008-12-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

We're getting around to sibling gifts pretty late this year. I keep a box of fabric markers around for fast gifts. This year Afton made Abel a personalized t-shirt. She loves to draw detailed pictures these days so it's the perfect activity for her. And Abel flies through shirts (2-3 each day!) so this is a fun gift that will also fill a need.

Abe will so coloring a church bag for Afton. I'll spice it up with some sewn on buttons and felt applique, but Abe's signature scribble will put a nice back ground on a basic bag.

Reader Tradition: Mexican Food

2008-12-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

Dana's family tradition is one of my very own too! Mexican food on Christmas Eve. Yum! We started this when we moved to New York and some friends invited us over for tasty, authentic Mexican food. It was the perfect thing to look forward to before we had kids and now that we have a few, it works just as great. Although we're going out this year!!

Thanks for sharing Dana. Now I need to call my favorite Mexican restaurant and make sure they are open tomorrow!

Simple Service: for your friends

2008-12-19T09:09:00.001-07:00

I love finding small gifts for my friends each year. I always try to make these gifts non-food items. And I like giving the gift to just my friend, not the entire family, because sometimes it's super to not share! This year I'm gifting bars of awesome peppermint soap my that I had my hubby stock up on during a hotel stay.

Afton is giving her friends pencils this year. We made these really fun swirly paper attachments with a small Christmas message.

I'm so excited to deliver these little treasures today!! What do you like to gift your friends?

Simple Service: school supplies

2008-12-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

This is a great time of year to ask your child's teacher what supplies the classroom is running low on. Then stock up on a few packs of markers, some grading stickers or glue sticks for them.

Your child can help out with this service by using some allowance money to buy the items, choosing the supplies from the store and of course, writing a kind note for their teacher.

Traditions

2008-12-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

We are sharing 2 traditions today from reader Amber:

When I was in junior high one of my younger brothers gave Christmas ornaments to everyone for Christmas. They were ceramic and he had hand painted them. They were by far perfect but to this day I still have that ornament and every year I think of him and that special Christmas when I put his ornament on the tree. I will always treasure it - even if I didn't treasure it when it was given!

I've started having my kids paint ornaments this year as well. We have 2 wooden ones (one for each of the kids) and 2 plaster ones. My kids are VERY young (2.5 and 1.5) but they LOVE to paint. I thought this would be a good time to start a yearly tradition and to give them a creative thing to do during the holiday season. Some people say I'm crazy for letting my kids paint...but I do everything I can to make it a quick clean up and headache free project. I have some old sheets that are reserved for picnics and painting, first I put those down to cover the floor and table (or any surface that is close to the area being used). Next, I strip the kids down to their skives (either diapers or underwear). Finally I remind myself that this is supposed to be fun and to let them do whatever they want - it won't be perfect and that's ok. Then we get to work. At the end I throw the sheets in the wash, the kids in the tub and clean up the paint utensils. Clean up takes almost as long as the project itself (because of the bath) but it's always worth it. They talk about it for weeks!

Great stuff! One of my hubby's aunts has been painting and handing out ceramic ornaments for years, and while they sometimes break, the kids love having something with their name on it! Thanks for sharing Amber, and remember if you have a tradition you would like to share there is still time to email us and we will post it!

Simple Service: self serve

2008-12-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

Anyone else feeling a bit frazzled? Maybe it's just me, and my hubby's 7-day, 15-hour work week, but I need a bit of self pampering this week. I started by finally making myself an apron over the weekend...the one I cutout almost a year ago!

So paint those toenails, make yourself some of Christy's sugar scrub or treat yourself to something you really love (I'm hankering for a solo movie outing)...then get back to doing great things for others.

In the mood for free

2008-12-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

Printable gift tags from Paper Crave

It's been a crazy, crazy day at my house (with the exception of hearing my unborn baby's heart beat at the midwife today...peace, love and happiness all in one little sound) and I really just want to spend the rest of the night eating chocolate cupcakes and snuggling on the couch with some trashy TV. But Christmas projects are awaiting...

So I'm cheering myself up by finding and sharing awesome FREE links on the web! Free sounds good and I can even stretch it into a simple service: saving money for yourself!

Totally using these printable gift tags found on Kirsty.

How About Orange featured these adorable printable 2009 calendars (it's one of my goals in life to never ever buy a calendar)

And look what happened when I searched for "free shipping" on Etsy. I really love free shipping. And I really really love Etsy. Pure happiness.

And Design Mom (did you know that I know her, like for realsies!!) is having a super cool 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway tomorrow. I won a holiday giveaway last year and was in a great mood for weeks because of it!

Now me and my sewing machine have some serious work to do.

Sibling Crafts

2008-12-10T06:40:00.000-07:00

flickr.com by Rob E.

If you have crafty, or even semi-crafty kids, then let them create wall art for their siblings or cousins as holiday gifts. My favorite way to do this is by picking up one of the many sizes of art canvases from your local craft supply (don't forget to use a coupon) and get some paint, if you have run out of that. Then either offer guidance or let your kids go crazy! Last week my kids painted 2 canvases. I chose the colors, and had each of them paint a different layer. For example, on one, the boys painted messy lime-colored circles, very randomly. Then Ciela, painted a bare bones tall building with lots of windows, in black. Haven finished it off with spots of pink in some of the windows. Tons of fun, and a great gift for any age!

Simple Service: surprise someone

2008-12-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

How tickled would you be if someone dropped a meal off at your door for no good reason, other than plain old niceness? I would be on a high for days if this happened to me! How about if someone asked to watch your kids, just because. Or if a friend came over to clean your bathrooms just for being a friend.

Surprising someone with service is sweet, so rewarding and always welcome. Find someone to surprise this week!

Reader Traditions

2008-12-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

Eliza shared a favorite Christmas tradition with us:

"Since my husband and I both lived in Germany we love anything to do with Advent and have several calendars around the home. On December 5th we put our shoes by the door because the 6th is St.Nicholas Day, we love to get fun things (unless you've been bad, then you get sticks.)"

This is a fun tradition Eliza. My daughter and I have been learning about different country's tradition this week and last (we celebrated St. Nicholas Day too). It's wonderful to learn about different cultures celebrations. I think my favorite fact so far has been that Santa's sleigh is pulled by six white kangaroos in the Australian Outback!

Thanks for sharing!

Simple Service: post cards for service

2008-12-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

Last week, when I was at the post office, I noticed a little stack of pre-stamped, pre-addressed postcards for service men and women, with a small note encouraging customers to send a note. I picked one up and jotted down a thank you note. Something I have not down since middle school. It was great to do a service I don't normally do.

You too can send a note, card of postcard to those in our Armed Forces.

Go here to send an email.
Go to Any Soldier to choose a name for a letter.
Adopt a soldier through Soldiers Angels.

Zip Tip: self serve kitchen

2008-12-05T13:00:00.001-07:00

After my visit to Christy's house, I was inspired to finally move the kid's kitchen items to some drawers(Christy has done this for years). Now they can get their own plates, bowls and cups, eliminating the need for Mom in one tiny area of life.

Bags 4 Darfur

2008-12-04T11:08:00.001-07:00

As part of our theme of giving service this month, a reader rachel sent us to this fantastic website, bags4darfur.blogspot.com. This lovely lady, Joyce, makes eclectic bags from vintage fabrics, and each day sells one to the highest bidder. Then she donates the money to aid Darfur. Let me explain that a little further. The U.N. has called the situation in Darfur one the "worst humanitarian crisis" in the world. Several hundred thousand people have died in the last 5 years since this political arena has become thwarted by angry militants and governmant problems. Please read more about the situation in Darfur here. There are horrible situations around our globe, and it is hard to be able to help out all those who need it. This lovely woman has just solved two of your problems: first, you will be giving aid to some of those who desperately need it, and also a bonus of a fantastic bag that someone on your list is sure to love! Here is a taste of what she does:

"angel wax" bag. high bid: $90

"life" bag. high bid: $87

All of her bags start at $45, and you have until 8pm to get your bidding in. Just leave a comment on the post. If today's bag doesn't strike your fancy, then keep returning until you find one or three, that do. I do not know Joyce, but her sacrifice of personal time to aid so many, other herself is incredibly touching. A curtsy to you, Joyce.

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

image from www.papercopia.com

We started a love chain about 3 christmases ago, as part of a new tradition to focus on giving and others (instead of new toys and spending extra money). I keep a bucket of colorful strips of paper, and pens, on a table. Then everytime someone does something "nice" for someone OR has a kind thought about someone else, they write or draw about it on a strip, and we attach it to the end of the chain. We attach them one night a week, and hung the chain around our front room. We kept ours for 2 years, but we are starting a new one this year, after some sort of natural disaster occured... the point is to encourage selfless acts and new memories that will last longer than that action figure! And practically free decorating as a bonus!

Simple Service: keep saying thank you

2008-12-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is over, but the show of gratitude can continue. Take a few minutes and write a couple thank you cards or emails today. Great recipients are: your child's teacher, a friend who is always helping you out, your parents, even those local leaders.

Etsy is such a cool place to shop for gifts! I love these cards from Inkspot Workshop.

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

After our second child arrived, I thought it was high time that Glenn and I started a few of our own Christmas traditions. One of them, is to give books as a sort of advent calendar. I wrap up 24 different Christmas-y type books, some purchased and others borrowed from the library. Then each day the kids take turns choosing and unwrapping a book. Then of course we read it together. My kids range from 10 down to 2, so I have a variety of types under the tree to keep them interested. The book always read on Christmas Eve is "Twas the Night Before Christmas". A perfect classic. Some of our fave's include:

*"Dream Snow" by Eric Carle

* "I Spy-Christmas"

* "Snowmen at Christmas" by Caralyn Buehner

I am still scouting around titles for this year's new book, and I am open to your suggestions! Also, Lizzy and I want to hear you traditions too!! So, email them to us, and we start sharing them next week.

Simple Service: food in a bag

2008-12-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

I posted about donating food a couple months ago. I love this form of service for a few reasons.

1. It's very simple (on my time and my budget)
2. My children can get involved easily
3. The food usually goes to my local community

Tonight, I'm bagging up some extra food for my daughter to take to school tomorrow. We also have a food drive going on with our church and our local rec center this week.

On a side note: I try to make donations healthy; a sampling of what my family eats. Not cheap food that I wouldn't want to give my own kids.

December Tip Topics

2008-12-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

December is all about doing nice things and making great things over here at The Tip Spot. Each day this month, we will tip on simple ways to serve your family, friends and community.

There will also be tips on sibling gifts (the handmade variety) and some more gift crafts.

And we would love to shine the light on your favorite family tradition for Christmastime. So send us an email and tell us about what you love to do during the holidays and you can be a star on The Tip Spot!

Vacation Over!

2008-12-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Can you tell Christy and I took a little vacation last week?

We'll be back this afternoon with new Tip Topics and a new tip!

And don't you want someone to give you a pair of these cute and cozy knit socks for Christmas? I found them on knit bot.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to celebrate being thankful. And I for one, am grateful that in the U.S. we happen to do it with food, BUT there are some other ways of acknowledging being thankful with your family's. Here are a few ideas:

*make a thankful tree out of real branches, secure in a container,
and attach paper leaves that you and your family have written (or drawn)
things you are thankful for.

flickr.com

*like our tipster Amy, draw a chalk or pencil tree somewhere in your house
(you could even use lipstick on a little-used mirror) and attach leaves
of thankfulness.
*dig through magazines and find pictures of what you are thankful
for, then make a window collage with all of them.

*start a gratitude journal.

*give some of the material things that you are glad you have, to someone
who doesn't have them.
*ABSOLUTELY NO YELLING DURING THE PREPARING AND
TRAVELING PERIODS. THAT WILL MOST CERTAINLY
MAKE ALL THINGS AROUND YOU UNGRATEFUL!

This week as we all prepare for our own celebrations of gratitude, be grateful for all that you have, even the bad stuff. Tell those who need to hear it that you love them, and you are thankful for them in your life.

Thanks to our Tipster!

2008-11-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

A big lovely thank you to our marvelous tipster Amy!! We all loved all the glorious tips; I especially loved the amazing paint ones (seriously, a black kitchen is sooo me!) and Amy forgot to mention that her dining room ceiling is silver. That's right people, silver. Amy is awesome and we are so thankful that she visited the tipspot!

look what you can do with paint

2008-11-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Let's just say, there are lots of options out there. Paint is so versatile. You can create texture, you can make a grid, you can paint stripes, you can do a million different creative things with paint. These are just a few ideas I found.

This is a nursery. The green is so fresh and very unique for a nursery. I think a very happy baby lives here.

I love how they used white accents with the dark floors and that crazy green on the walls.

This is one of the walls in my girl's playroom. The other walls are the lighter pink.

This is our pantry door (kinda small, don't you think?). We change around the message, but this is from our family night last week. We made paper leaves to write what we're thankful for and put them on our chalk tree.

This is not my house, but I secretly wish it was. The black wall is chalkboard paint.

A black kitchen is not your thing? Are you sure? It's quite cosmopolitan and chic. It doesn't seem very practical for family life, but it's definitely inspiring.

I love how they've mixed farmhouse casual (turquoise door, floor) with modern black and a luxurious chandelier.

So, be brave and use some color in your house. Or if you do all white, use lots of textures in your accessories. Remember, if you hate it, you can always repaint!

Kids Craft: Gifts!

2008-11-20T08:11:00.001-07:00

a cute kit idea from hearthsong.com

I found an excellent website that has several different ideas, for various age groups, on having your kids handmake gifts. Have a peek over here and see what I mean. The directions are great, and they have one of my favorite gifts that my little caleb made for mother's day this year: love in a box! So very sweet...and if you aren't up for heading out to the craft store, they have links for some cute ready-made kits. Everything arrives at your door, and your kids make the craft following the directions. Easy as Christmas pie!
A tip: keep it simple. All of us, including kids, need to know that a small thoughtful gift from the heart is what matters during the gift-giving season. Don't get overwhelmed with all sorts of plans and then end up doing nothing or spending this wonderful season yelling...there is joy in spending time with your family while you create special memories to share with others.

Random Tips From Your Kindness

2008-11-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

image from soulemama.com/mama_to_mama

Our fantastic random tip comes from chantel today. She shared a wonderful service idea that is perfect for this time of year:

There is a lady in Maine who has organized with a not-for-profit corporation that works to improve health care in Haiti, to make newborn caps to assemble Safe Birthing Kits. (when you see what is in the kit you will be thankful to have babies here, at least I was!) Anyway I just thought I would pass on the information, she provides a simple pattern that you can make using old Tee shirts, (or whatever you have) she give the guidelines on her website and links to the not-for-profit corporation called Konbit Sante. She has also extended her vision for these momma's by adding the option to do receiving blankets. So I just thought it was a wonderful out reach and a way to give. Especially at this time of year.

After checking out her site this morning, it seems that the cap count is awesome: 419! But blankets are only at 4. So, I would like to encourage anyone who has the time to make 1 or 2 receiving blankets (following the guidelines outlined on the blog) and get your kids involved helping where they can as well! There is a deadline of December 10th. All of us here have various versions of birthing stories, and no matter how your babies arrive into your family, I think all of us are very blessed to have them. The women in Haiti are no different, but they do need more basic help than most of us will even have to think of. So, please consider this to be your act to do some kindness in our very small world.

finding inspiration

2008-11-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

It's important to have the confidence in furnishing your home with things that please you, not what is fashionable or investment material. -Jane Cumberbatch

I recently found this quote and just fell in love with it, because I think it's really important to furnish your home in a way that makes you comfortable and not necessarily because everyone else has their house a certain way. I think it makes you feel happier because you really enjoy the things in it or maybe no things in it. Either way! Plus, it's interesting to visit a home that shows the owner's character with their artwork, furnishings, etc.

So, today I thought I'd include a few of my favorite sources for inspiration and show you how I have used that inspiration in my own home.

I love magazines! This may possibly be the understatement of the year. I love Domino magazine. It is a great source for all kinds of loveliness. I also love Martha Stewart Living, Mary Englebreit Home, House Beautiful, Dwell, Metropolitan Home, Elle Decor, Real Simple, Home & Garden, and even Pottery Barn catalogs.

Domino has a digital scrapbook you can create online...meaning you can put together an "inspiration scrapbook" of different pictures you like. My mom always has her clients go through magazines and pull out different things they like to get an idea of their "style".

Also, there are some great blogs with some gorgeous ideas! I like these:

http://www.absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com/

http://www.decor8blog.com/

http://www.designspongeonline.com/

http://www.elementsofstyleblog.com/

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

Ryan and I also love to go to home shows. One home we found a few years ago had an amazing, but small art gallery. The walls throughout their house were painted a concrete gray color and so we decided to put our own spin on the gallery idea and the color. This is a photo of our gallery (in the works!). We have found a couple of pieces we like and have even included some of our daughter's artwork. (Her take on Kandinsky's circles)

While in Paris, I went to a show on Matisse's art from the latter part of his life, which included some of his personal correspondence and collage work. I already loved Matisse, but I learned a lot from this show. To help me remember the beautiful pieces I had seen, I bought some postcards of my favorites and eventually matted and framed them.

Some of my favorite ideas have come from Pottery Barn catalogs. The things I do never turn out the same as the picture, but I love to have my own quirky twist. This is my hallway. The photo collection is continually being added to. I love having photos of my family and friends on display. You'll notice there is really no rhyme or reason in my arrangement of the photos, but it still looks organized because of the black frames.

And so, in closing, you thought I'd never end did you?! In closing, look everywhere for inspiration...store displays, magazines, catalogs, other people's homes (but don't copy!), books, etc. Be true to yourself and your own style. Remember, just because vinyl lettering is popular right now, don't feel pressured to put it in your house if it's not your thing. I personally think it's super cute, but it just doesn't fit my style. Happy inspiration hunting!

Dancing Ribbons

2008-11-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

With all the cousins, friends and school mates your child (and mine) know and love, and with the certainty of the yuletide spirit happily infecting those kids; it's good to have easy, inexpensive and useful items on hand for Christmas gifts.

This week, we'll spotlight mail-friendly crafts for the wee out of town friends and relations.

I cannot remember what book or magazine I first learned about Dancing Ribbons from, but from the first read, I was a big fan of this sweet craft.

Supplies: any round item that can be grasped (like shower rings, O-rings, jar rings, rubber band, etc), lots of ribbon in varying colors, patterns and textures.

Directions: tie lengths of ribbon onto the ring until the ring is fully covered. For a nice finish, use a no-fray product or a lit match to seal the end of each ribbon.

Your child can give this happy dancing ribbon with a burned CD of perfect dancing tunes for a gift that delights both the receiver and the parent of the receiver!!

a little mixed-up

2008-11-17T10:05:00.001-07:00

sorry, my post is under christy's intro to yours truly...

Tipster Alert: Amy Hulse!

2008-11-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce our Tipster for November: Amy Hulse. She is a lovely lady, with a beautiful family, and excellent design ideas for your home! She grew up in a family where they moved a lot, and a mom who loved to create a new home each time. Her mom has a design firm, and her brother is an architect. So, expressive ideas are definitely in her family genes. Amy loves to find a different approach, and her current is house is a beautiful, modern, work-in-progress. She also really enjoys finding great deals, so she is perfect for your designer! This week she will post some great tips for all of us, and make sure you ask any questions you might have! Amy will be hanging around here through Friday, and I am definitely ready for some new creative visions. Please welcome my sweet friend and fair-weather jogging buddy to the tipspot!

A little tip I picked up in Paris...

2008-11-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

Hi! Just so you know, I'm not really too fancy. I've only been to Paris one time and I only got to go because my husband had work meetings there. Lucky me! But it was an amazing place and I tried to bring a few of my favorite ideas home with me.

Now, no one has ever told me I am an amazing photographer, so use your imagination with these photos!

I love paper, and while we were shopping around the Marais (a district of Paris), I ran into this amazing paper shop. They displayed many of their paper samples on the walls using magnets. My husband and I loved this idea and bought a few of our favorite paper pieces and some magnets. (A very inexpensive piece of art!)

The magnets are really small and we just put four small nails in the wall (one for each corner of the paper), and then placed the paper on top of the nails. The magnets attach to the nails, holding the paper in place with no holes in your lovely Parisian paper!

This is a close up of the paper and you can see the fibers running through it. The little silver circle is the magnet. So, the paper actually "floats" on the wall, rather than being right up against the wall. Make sense?

All of the paper from this shop is handmade and it is incredible. We picked up some of the more simple pieces, and might I mention they were a bit more affordable than some other pieces. There was a roll of paper, and when I say roll, I mean it was almost as tall as I am and probably 10 feet long...and it was full of carefully placed square holes. It was so beautiful and about $1000 dollars for the roll. My husband said it wasn't really within our budget.

Anyway, this is just one idea of how to hang artwork. I have also made a lampshade out of paper and used magnets to hold the paper pieces together. It's not my best work, but it'll do!

Christy found a website with great prices on magnets. It's http://www.kjmagnetics.com/. Check it out, they have some really great sphere shaped magnets, some cool looking square ones, etc.

I'll be back on Wednesday for some more fantastic home decor ideas.

Zip Tip... Laundry Room!

2008-11-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

flickr.com

Today I am combining our ziptip and room tip into one great post. If you have kids or even a person you are doing laundry for, usually at some point there are random items that fall out of the pockets into the washer or dryer. Believe me, I often have enough lego pieces gathered by the end of a load that i can build a fortress of sorts. So, grab a large jar, or flat box, and set it on top of your laundry area, somewhere. Mine is on the dryer, and when I find a penny, an army guy or a sparkly charm, I just toss it into the box. Then add it to your chore list for your kiddos or you to put away! Tidiness, done.

Random Tips From Your Kindness

2008-11-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

This week's purely random tip is brought to you from ME!

If you are planning on using any rewards (credit card, debit card, shopper programs) you have been earning throughout the year to shop for the holidays, now is the time to redeem those points and have plenty of time for the gift or gift cards to get to you.

I just redeemed two $25 gift cards to Target for stocking stuffers and a couple gifts. With this plan, I shouldn't have to spend any out of pocket cash on Christmas!!

Laundry Room: faster folding

2008-11-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

I like to do most of my laundry on one day. And usually I end up saving all the folding for the end of the day when I can't be distracted by messes, squabbles and when I can watch TV while I fold away. But saving up all that folding to do in one setting gets long and tiring. So here is my folding tip: when tossing laundry into the washer, or sorting those colors, take a few seconds to turn clothes right side out (unless it needs to be washed inside out). This way, whether you drip to dry or tumble it all, folding goes a lot faster!

And don't you think this sign would add a whole lot of happy in your laundry room? Find it (and lots more vintage laundry decor) at Jack and Friends.

Tippin' Tuesday: Easy Dinner Help

2008-11-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

Tippin' Tuesdays are back! Let's jump right in with this tip request from Dana in Albuquerque:

I would like a tips on making "dinner" on those nights when you just don't want to make dinner.

Everyone has nights like these Dana! I usually plan 2 easy meals each week to pull out on the tired/too busy weeknights. Some meals that work for my family are: ravioli tossed in olive oil and parmesan, toast and smoothies, sandwich night and crackers-cheese-fruit plates. Keeping something of the frozen variety on hand is another good backup. Christy likes Stouffer's lasagna because it has no preservatives. I love Alexia's sweet potato fries and a lesser evil version of chicken nuggets (Foster Farms has whole grain, white meat, no preservatives) for a surprise treat dinner.

What else can be done on those nights when making dinner just isn't happening? I'm sure we can give Dana lots more ideas!

Laundry Room: cleaning the machines

2008-11-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

I really hope other people have washing machines and dryers that accumulate that dusty goop like mine does. I just found a GREAT way to clean that layer of film. Get a nice little pile of lint from the lint filter then scrub away. In just a few minutes those edges of your cleaning machines will be...drumroll...clean!!!

Random Tips From Your Kindness

2008-11-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

We have a tasty tip today from Eliza. She suggests going to restaurant.com to buy gift certificates for your holidays (or just for you!). I just checked them out and I am totally giving this two thumbs way up! Here's the deal:

* go to the website restaurant.com
* enter your zipcode
*choose from many restaurants in your area
* buy a gift card for a steal. for example you can get a $25 gift card for only $10! or a $10 card for $3!

I think the best part, at least for the areas I already checked, is the restaurants are GOOD! 4 and 5 star joints. This is not for fast food, it is for real food. Serious people, this might be my fave tip so far this year. I definitely know how to plan my next date night...

Make It: Pizza

2008-11-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

image from zobeiry @ flickr.com

Nearly every person I have ever met loves pizza. And why not? It is essentially a whole meal rolled into one very tasty display. Think the ease of casserole, without the whole casserole yuck (I am not a fan of the casserole)! So many different ways to create the deliciousness, and seemingly endless places to purchase the pies, BUT what about making it yourself? And better still, making and freezing so you have them on hand when you need that I-totally-forgot-about-dinner meal? Lizzy and I think this is a top-notch idea: it saves you money on delivery, saves the planet from extra packaging in that garbage can, and saves your body from some of the extra unneccessaries that most commercial pizzas give you. Here are a few tips I have found:

*keep dough on the moist side, (avoid excess flour adding) to keep the crust tender
*dust dough ball with flour
*store in zippy bags for 1 week in the fridge, or 1 month in freezer
For a "finished" frozen pizza:
*prebake crust for about 5 minutes at 500 degrees
*let cool entirely
*freeze as is on a cookie sheet, then slide into a zippy or cover tightly in plastic wrap
OR
*prebake as mentioned
*add toppings
*freeze as mentioned
*cook at 400, for 20-25 minutes. check for doneness.

It is simple to taylor the pizza to fit your family's preferences. We like a cheese pizza, using a homemade sauce that has lots of herbs and balsamic vinegar, fresh mozzarella (makes a HUGE difference), fontina, and parmesan. We also like a copycat version of the California Pizza Kitchen's BBQ Chicken. Use bbq sauce instead of the usual pizza sauce, cover in shredded chicken that has been tossed liberaly with more bbq sauce, layer on smoked gouda and red onions. Yummers! Or a margherita style, with an herbed olive oil (instead of the pizza) sauce, fresh chopped tomatoes, a little garlic, fresh mozzarela, and fresh basil. I am so hungry right now! To make an even healthier and heartier pizza use a whole-wheat crust to start then continue on with your favorite toppings. Here is a tasty recipe to try:

*2 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
*2 T olive oil
*1 t. salt
* 1 packet active yeast

In a mixer, mix all ingredients, for about 5 minutes Cover, and rise for about 1 hour. Ready to roll out, or start one of the saving steps from above. Makes 2 large pizzas.

So how does pizza sound for dinner? And while you are there, make a little extra and freeze it for when the crazy days are just too crazy for cooking!

Gift Craft: Body Scrub

2008-11-04T05:16:00.000-07:00

image @ fromnaturewithlove.com

i love soft skin. i really do. and i am thinking maybe you know someone else who does too? someone who might like a gift? get in the kitchen a whip up a batch of fabulous sugar scrub, and you are set to pamper people you know! here's the skinny:

* equal parts oil and sugar (or salt)
* essential oil in a fragrance that smells yummy!
*pretty jar to put it in

I use a light olive oil, but rapeseed is great as is almond oil. You want something that is not overpowering in the smell department. Then use sugar or salt. Turbinado or granulated are both excellent choices, and salt is a tiny bit finer and thus a little smoother for the scrub. Just remember the larger the granule, the rougher the scrub will end up being. All will work well. And about 1 cup of each is perfect for a decent sized jar. Just mix the ingredients in a medium bowl and add several drops of essential oil (you can skip the scent if you'd like). I love citrusy scents and ones that smell like dessert!

freshpreserving.com

I am certain that there are lots of lovely containers out there, but my fave is the newer ball jar with the super sleek platinum lid. Very crisp and looks finished without a lot of fuss. However, add your own flair with a ribbon and a sweet tag explaining that the recipient should: scoop up, then scrub it up in the shower, and rinse. Revealing that baby soft skin that everyone loves!

November Tip Topics

2008-11-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

In between election excitement and roasting that turkey, stop by The Tip Spot this month for awesome tips on these topics:

First, we'll catch up on a few past topics that we just didn't get our fill of. Gift crafts, make ahead meals, and some more service ideas.

The Laundry Room is our space of the month. Lots of tips for keeping it clean, getting those clothes in and out and some talk about products also.

Free Stuff. Who doesn't love getting things for free. The Tip Spot will dish on our favorite freebies.

And finally, Kids Gift Crafts. Get the creativity flowing with your young ones by making gifts for siblings, grandparents and friends.

Great activities for this week

2008-11-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Each time a new month rolls around, I check out this website for special days and silly holidays to celebrate. This week, there are so many good ones:

Monday: Sandwich Day
Tuesday: Candy Day (I'm thinking a candy art project!)
Wednesday: Donut Day (make your own or have a fun after school treat)
Thursday: Basketball Day (teach basics or have a family game)
Friday: Hug-a-Bear and Magazine Day

Hope you have a very fun week! I'm headed to Buffalo in a few days to hang with Christy while we pretend to have zero responsibility...thanks to our great husbands!

Stay tuned for November's Tip Topics.

Zip Tip: pumpkin idea

2008-10-31T07:36:00.000-06:00

Christy and I are both participating in our kindergartner's Halloween parties today. So pardon slim posts this week!

Just in case anyone out there still needs to carve/decorate their pumpkin, here is a fast idea, that is also low on the mess and turns into a toy after trick-or-treating is over.

Buy a Halloween themed Mr. Potato Head toy (not the one specifically for pumpkin decorating because it doesn't work with the toy) or use pieces from your existing toy bin. Use a screw and hammer to puncture small holes for the pieces, then help your little person push the eyes, ears and nose into the pumpkin.

Abel had such fun doing this yesterday. It took less than 10 minutes and only required one paper towel!

Happy Halloween!!

Service Ideas: The Great Toy Giveaway

2008-10-29T07:29:00.000-06:00

Before their Christmas celebration, my mother-in-law would have her boys choose several toys that were in good condition, to give away. I'm always impressed with those who include their children in the toy cleanse, as this situation can get a bit dramatic (tears, shouting, clinging...).

Most of us probably have or toy or fourteen that we could pass on this year. I have a feeling a lot more families will be in need during the Giving Season. So, if you are brave enough, sit your kids down and explain the realities of giving to those in need. Hopefully, your pep talk with be a great motivation for them to give and share nicely!

Or figure out a toy swap that we mentioned right here, to save you and someone else a lot of money.

Gift Craft: handmade cards

2008-10-27T11:08:00.000-06:00

a super cute and super easy card from howaboutorange!

I do love paper crafting, especially making cards. I have a big crush on my stockpile of cards for birthdays, thank you notes and just because mail.

Not everyone enjoys crafting, but most everyone appreciates the gift of a nicely made handmade card. Make a set for a friend, a thank you gift or a hostess present.

I like these websites for creative card inspiration:

How About Orange
Stampin' It Up
Martha Stewart

Zip Tip!

2008-10-24T08:29:00.000-06:00

flickr photo by manganite

Today for our Zip Tip, I am offering some newly acquired information. Sad, to say that it goes directly with our service theme for the month. A lovely friend sent me this, from another and Lizzy and I wanted to share it with you in hopes that you might feel compelled to do something to help out.
The sad story is this:

i recently found out that a reader's close friend just became a single mother of five all under the age of 10. i don't know the circumstances and i don't care to know because i don't need to in order to give... i cannot imagine doing that day in and day out.

this mother is going through school right now to be licensed to run a day care out of her home. she is living off grants and selling her personal effects to get by. her family is not really in a position to help too much...

she is currently in dire need of girls clothing sizes 4 and 6 and 18 months. she has older boys around the age of 8, but any clothing can be used as hand-me-down's. and i would add, perhaps a little pick me up for her. something simple. something homemade. maybe just a card or a piece of candy (take it from your halloween stash). from the blog written by mrs.r. therhouse.blogspot.com (please feel free to head over there and read it)

How horrible to be in that mother in this situation, and we are asking that if any of you feel that distinct pull to help out that you either email Lizzy and I at thetipspot@gmail.com OR contact mrs. r at her email: therhouse@gmail.com. She or we, will give you the name and address neccessary to help. Please think of this family today and add them to your thoughts and prayers. And please give thanks that you are blessed with what you have. I know Lizzy and I are.

Gift Craft: Vanilla Sugar

2008-10-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

Holiday dinners and parties are on the way. Get ready with your hostess/host gift now with a gift craft that is easy and elegant. Vanilla Sugar.

Directions:

Fill a container with 2 cups of sugar, cut a vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape those fragrant seeds into the sugar, bury the bean in the middle of the sugar, cover and let sit for 2 weeks.

The Food Network gives great directions.

Vanilla sugar can be used just like plain sugar, but gives recipes a nice homey vanilla taste.

Random Tips From Your Kindness: Political Facts

2008-10-23T07:09:00.000-06:00

I wholeheartedly support Amy H's tip for us today:

While it may be a bit late in the campaign, I think you should include a tip on where to go to do your own, unbiased research about the candidates and their platforms. I have been shocked at the amount of misinformation out there. My favorite source is factcheck.org.

Anyway, as women, I think we have a duty to be educated on the issues ourselves. I have really strong opinions about that, and I won't get into it. But, maybe some of your readers would appreciate the info.

I use this website regularly to get accurate political information. Thanks Amy!

Service Ideas: Gettin' Your Hands Dirty

2008-10-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Our Family Home Evening (our weekly family spiritual lesson and activity night) activity this week, is picking up trash around our condo complex. I'm a regular trash picker-upper. I have a pet peeve for littering (I'm from Washington where having a litter bag in your car is a law) and pick up garbage from parking lots, around garbage cans, at the park...and my kids have "picked" up the good habit.

Getting your kids on garbage duty will help them develop a healthy respect for their community. It's an easy green lesson that can be applied wherever you are. And litter patrol is a happy way to serve every day.

Gift Craft: rice packs

2008-10-22T19:39:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I missed the birthday of a friend (sorry Laura!) and realized, I needed to prepare for birthdays way ahead of time. So, I whipped up a bunch of b-day cards for out of town friends and I made a birthday gift for local friends- and even wrapped them up.

What's my gift you ask? Rice Packs. I cut up a pair of pink flannel PJ pants that had lost the drawstring, hand stitched a flower, then sewed a few straight lines, filled the squares with rice, then finished off the sewing job.

Now I just need to remember to give them out when birthdays roll around!

This is such an easy gift craft! You can use fabric from your stash, or buy a low cost flannel. Rice is usually on hand and the sewing can be done by hand or machine.

Tippin' Tuesday

2008-10-21T07:19:00.000-06:00

one fat furniture by *ghost* flickr.com

I recently had a friend over and we were walking through my tiny house and discussing how sometimes you have this "stuff" and know it doesn't belong in the current location, but do not know where it actually belongs. What to do about that?

My sister Angie used to come over and help me out with this in Oregon. It definitely helped to have an outside source come in and help look over your place. Since she didn't live there, her mind was open to moving things in a different direction. Now you can hire a decorator or just invite a few friends over for cocoa, and have them tell you what to do for free! All advice must be considered, although try to not move the furniture too many times without stretching afterward. Try reading mind over clutters lovely advice on when you should just toss stuff. The techniques of Feng Shui might help out, so skip on over to spaceclearing.com for a list of when some professionals might be in your area. Also, flip through a few magazines and look online to get your brain flowing in a new direction. What directions do you have?

Halloween...Carving Tools

2008-10-20T18:55:00.000-06:00

I love kitchen tools. I think that's my mom's fault, as our kitchen was always stocked with interesting tools with only 1 purpose. For example, the pickle picker-upper. That has 1 job only, to get the pickle out of the jar. Cool tool, but eventually one runs out of drawers...which leads me to pumpkin carving tools. Nice to have around, but only used once a year, and there is a chance that plastic set you picked up from the discount store won't even make it to the next Halloween. So, dump out your utensil drawer and scavenge for tools. Skewers are very handy for holes and detailed scraping, along with that nut-picker (also a one-job wonder). How about these amazing little fruit scrapers? I bought a set of these on sale last year from my grocery store, and I have loved them for scooping out melon, and avocado, and kiwi....lotsa fruit needs scraping! But I whipped them out on Sunday whilst being frustrated scooping all the "guts" out of some pumpkins, and let me say "awesome"!! Love these even more now! Pick a set of 3 up for yourself at wegmans.com or chefcentral.com

Zip Tip: easier and greener dusting

2008-10-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, my Target stopped carrying the Method dusting cloths I liked to use. I didn't want to buy a dusting spray, since my kids do the dusting chores. So I decided to use a microfiber cloth I already had. And, guess what? It works super duper great! My kids don't have to mess with a chemical spray, I don't have to spend money each month on a product and nothing gets wasted!!

Random Acts of Service

2008-10-16T10:03:00.000-06:00

Floating Imitations from Flickr
Go ahead and be someone's personal angel today!

As a mother of 4, I am frequently the recipient of what can be called random acts of service. I have had moments that tears come to my eyes from what I am certain seemed to be just a simple gesture. Doors being held open are just the tip of my fantastic iceberg. Often people help entertain the docile children while I tend to the one who has gone AWOL. Sweet comments often come my way, as well as the shocked: Are those ALL yours? Though, that one makes me smile too. My awesome kiddos see these things, and in turn are becoming their own little "random acters". I try as often as possible to help out when I can. Honestly when the entire brood is together, I usually have some blinders on. Now that I am a mom of 1 for a large portion of my day, I find it easier and wonderful to give back some of the random service I have been getting for so long...Again, being an example goes a long way. The next time you are out, seek out these oppurtunities and your day, along with a few others, will be greatly blessed by it!

Halloween...Tree!

2008-10-16T09:27:00.000-06:00

I should just say it out right: I am a thief of sorts. There, I feel better. I have a habit of taking an idea from someplace, and twisting it around to create something i need or love. Not the most original plan I know, but it does get my creative juices flowing! Last year I spied a version of this Halloween tree for sale in the Pottery Barn catalog, and my brain wheels started spinning. Here is how I worked my magic:

Black container (I love pails)
Floral foam-stuff
Spooky looking twigs
Black spray paint
Spider webbing
Glass pebbles of any color (or sand, or rocks from your kids' stash)
Black pebbles

The twigs should be clean and dry, then lay them outside on a tarp and spray them til black all over! While they are drying shove the floral foam into the container (I bought a cube, and didn't even take off the plastic so it would be less messy), make sure it is in there nice and tight. Once those sticks are dry, push them into the foam, in a lovely artistic array. Finish off the spookiness with a small amount of the spider webbing. That stuff stretches forever! To help keep the container stable, I filled it to the top of the foam with glass pebbles and rocks. Then spread black pebbles over the top of the foam until it was totally covered. You can hang your little ghosties from this tree, and place it outside or on your table. The best part is your kids can help with nearly all of this craft. As a family, we went for a nice walk and gathered great sticks. Then Toran helped spray paint, and really in less than hour the entire thing was complete. From start of painting to placing it on the piano. Go grab your family and start collecting some sticks, and new fantastic fall memories!

Make It Don't Buy It: Vegetable add in's

2008-10-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have to say, some days the idea of chopping vegetables for a dinner turns me off entirely to making the dinner. I even have a handy chopping tool! To speed things up on these low motivation days, I try to keep bags of ready chopped veggies on hand. So, pick a day to chop, shred and freeze. Squash, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, carrots...all these freeze nicely for soups, stews, and sauces.

Make and Take On the Spot: Halloween Hats

2008-10-14T07:45:00.000-06:00

We're so excited to have Marie from Make and Takes On The Spot with us today! Make and Takes is a delightful blog with daily posts on crafts for you and the family. We love it!

I'm excited to be here at The Tip Spot. I've been enjoying their great tips on things for everyday. Today I'm here to add a fun craft for kids with foam hats turned into a pumpkin and ghost. This crafts is all to easy, helping kids stay spooky this Halloween.

Supplies for Foam Halloween Hats:

Craft Foam Hats - orange for pumpkin, white for ghost

Black marker - permanent is best

Take your black marker and design a face onto your foam hat. You can draw it out first onto paper or even use a pencil on your foam hat. Now that your hat has it's design, it's ready for a head. Have fun Haunting with these spooky Halloween Hats.

Thanks Marie! Christy and I have a guest post over at Make and Takes today. G check it out!

Service Project: Chores For a Cause

2008-10-13T07:05:00.000-06:00

cool coins photo from flickr

Donating funds to a good cause is a great way to offer service in your local community. Research a few local charities and have each of your children choose a cause to do chores for. Then throughout the week, as your family cleans up toys, makes beds and dusts the book shelf, they can earn coins for that charity. At the end of the week or month, whatever time period you decide on, either take that money to the charity, or write a check on behalf of your kid's earnings and mail it in.

Make It Don't Buy It: Marinara Sauce

2008-10-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

I like a really good red sauce; something that tastes like tomatoes not like tomato paste. I also like it to be easy to make. Here is the easiest and tastiest recipe I have found:

1 T olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
4-6 garlic cloves (depending how garlicky you like it)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cans diced tomatoes ( I like petite diced)
2 cans crushed tomatoes

Heat the olive oil and sautee the onions and garlic until soft. Add the rest and simmer for 30 minutes.

You can double or triple this recipe, cook in in the crockpot and then freeze several batches. Or if you are really looking to make ahead, you can can it! That's my plan eventually.

This sauce works great with spaghetti, lasagna, pasta bakes or pizza!

Candy Corn Decor

2008-10-10T13:00:00.000-06:00

This Halloween decoration is so so easy! Buy some candy corn, fill a clear container with the sugary sweets, and done! You probably should buy some extra candy corn though since snacking hands just might sneak into this tasty decoration.

For extra fall flair, add some leafless branches!

For some learning fun, have your kids or hubby or guests guess how many pieces are in a jar. Then give a prize to the person with the closest guesstimate!

Zip Tip!

2008-10-10T11:16:00.000-06:00

calef brown @ amazon.com

grab a great poetry book, that's fun for your kids and take turns reading your favorite ones out loud. we love any shel silverstein and the excellent polka bats and octupus slacks, by calef brown. glenn and i have our fave's and the kids have theirs. we read out loud, and encourage great oratory-ness: good pronunciation, inflection, facial expression. we all have a grand time, and maybe our kids will be excellent public speakers! well, we can hope, right?

Halloween...Banner!

2008-10-09T11:15:00.000-06:00

several lovely stores are selling these paper banners. maybe you've seen 'em? they are an old idea that has been in many cute magazines and i just saw a pre-made kit at a local craftstore, and although it was only about $5, it was a little cheesy for me. sooo...since i don't want to spend the money for the very excellent upper end banners, i thought i could certainly make one myself! don't be fooled by the sub-par picture up top, this is crazy cute! and if you are even sorta crafty you (and your kiddos) can whip one out in no time, AND you probably have nearly everything in the crafty cupboard to do it!

i used 4 different types of orange papers: a metallic-ish variety, one that looks handmade, a lighter marbled orange, and regular pumpkin colored! you could definitely go with your own color scheme to suit your fancy and current paper stock. i then used one of my trusty circle cutters, and cut several 4" circles of each color. then my hubby hole-punched 2 holes near the top, and my kids took turns affixing sticker letters. then we strung them on, like you can see in the above shot, and placed 2 black circles to help seperate the letters into words. it took about 30 minutes, everyone helped and we had some great family time doing it. i cheated a little by using stickers (i avoid cutting with scissors if i can possibly help it) but you could use your sizzix machine (people still have those, right?) or stencil and cut out letters. a word here...i love these banners for ALL sorts of occasions. i first fell in love with a happy birthday one from the pottery barn, several years ago. and then re-fell in love with a material option from the land of nod. there are limitless possibilities to do this idea and i am sure i will feel the need to remind you of them when it comes time for another fancy holiday celebration!

Service Project: Food Bank Collection

2008-10-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

Donating to a local food bank, was one of the first service projects I included Afton in.
I had her choose some food from our stores and from the grocery store and explained to her that some families don't have enough food to eat every day. She was so excited to share!

This sad concept resonates easily with young children. They are eager to participate and sweetly sensitive to children just like themselves who may not get to eat dinner every day.

You can donate food to one of the many food collection boxes that pop up round town this time of year, or you can go to the Feeding America website and find your local food bank. Taking a tour of these important facilities will have a lasting impact on your children and on yourself.

Share the Love Contest Winners

2008-10-07T16:48:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone for helping promote The Tip Spot! Here are the lucky winners:

The Little Tow Heads embroidered tee goes to Kellie N. who said "Hi! I'm new to your blog, but I now check it at least 2x a day! I can't stay away! I've added you onto my blogroll, and even created a whole new section, just for you guys!! Thanks again for all of the great tips!"

The Lovieroo goes to Lauren who said "Hi! Love your blog - gave your giveaway a little shoutout."

And the photo cards from HB Creative Design go to Annie who said "LOVE this idea! Your blog is so fun - I'll be sure to email some friends about this."

Thanks again to our sponsors. Use the links on the sidebar to shop their stores!!

***Winners, please send your mailing info to us using the email link on the side bar!

Tippin' Tuesday

2008-10-07T06:54:00.000-06:00

for tippin' tuesday we are going to answer a question from amy who wanted to know how to incorporate her daughter in with giving service to those who need it. to start off, we have a story to share from another reader lisa who has this to say:

"About 2 years ago I was needing some kind of a carrier to use because my 1 year old was a very clingy toddler. He was
WAY too big for the snugli I had and wearing the camping backpack around the house was just a pain! I had a hard time getting things done because he wanted me to hold him all the time. So after a lot of research and trial and error I designed my own "Asian style" baby carrier or "mei tai". People would see me using mine and ask about it so I started making them for other people as well. I started up a little LLC and made a website too. I mainly get my business through word of mouth. It works great for me and keeps me busy enough, but not super busy. I have 4 kids and I am definitely a mom first.

My oldest sister adopted a little girl from China about two years ago. She is a little girl who was born with a cleft lip. My sister is involved in a charity organization called "Love Without Boundaries" (http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/) that helps Chinese orphans. This organization was in the process of establishing a "cleft house" where babies with cleft lips and palates will go to get ready for and recover from surgery. The babies have to weigh 10 pounds before they are eligible to have their clefts repaired, but many babies of these babies have a hard time eating enough because of their clefts. The staff and medical professionals knew that if these babies were snuggled and carried more it would be easier for them to gain weight. My sister knew that I had a small business making carriers and called me to ask if I could help. She said that they needed a way for the nannies to be able to carry the babies around and still care for the other children at the same time. (Who can say no to Chinese orphans with cleft lips?) My sister talked to some of the other staff members and said that they would be able to reimburse me for the cost of the fabric and for the shipping to Seattle, where they would be packed and taken to China by one of the staff. I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to do something to help. I also contacted a friend of mine who makes ring slings and she was able to donate four slings. During the days I was working on the JP's for China I would read the "cleft house" blog (http://www.lwbclefthome.blogspot.com/) and see how it was coming along. I spent some time on the Love Without Boundaries website as well and my heart just ached for these children who didn't have a mom and a dad. I wished I had the financial means to sponsor a child or to pay for one child to have their heart or cleft repaired. When the JP's were done, I notified the person who was going to take them to China and I told them that I couldn't make a huge financial contribution but that I didn't need to be reimbursed for the shipping and the fabric. I wanted to truly do something to help."

here are some photos that were taken during a training session at the Anhui Cleft Healing Home.

i know that my children hear about sad stories, and wonder how those things can happen. we recently took a care package-- that was put together by some children from our church--to an older woman from our church. on the way, we talked about why it's important to help others and look for opportunities to do so. after our visit, on the car ride home the kids thought it was "cool" that they got to help someone out. i think that lisa is setting an excellent example for her children and teaching by doing. which is the best thing we can do. thank you lisa for sharing that touching story, be sure to visit the websites above if you would like to learn more about lisa's mei tai's or the organizations she mentioned.

We will be tipping on ways to serve with your children each Tuesday and Thursday in October.

Halloween...Ghosties!

2008-10-07T06:11:00.000-06:00

this little ghostie has been getting crafted for at least as long as i have been a part of the halloween tradition, so it's probably not new to you. BUT every so often i forget about these little treats and i was thinking maybe one of you have too!

the directions and necessary items are fairly simple and straight forward:

gather a tootsie pop, about 6 inches of narrow ribbon, a fine tip black marker, and two pieces of kleenex. place tootsie in the center of the tissues, wrap around the wrapper and tie ribbon at the base of the sucker. draw a ghoulish face and DONE!

we were about to make these a bit fancier this year by using real material, but i had that cut and ready for another project and it turned out to be too small. sad, no fancy ghosties for you!
however, these are easy enough that my 2 year old was able to participate (after realizing that she should keep the wrapper on, and not suck the tootsie prior to placing the tissues over it!) and you might just have all the materials laying around! these are excellent hung with fishing line in your windows, or outside in your trees (the more the better!) and ours are going to be hung in a new place this year: a spooky halloween "tree", that will be seen here later in the week!

Share the Love Giveaway Reminder

2008-10-06T08:08:00.001-06:00

Today is the last day to enter the Share the Love Giveaway! Leave your comment right on over here to have a chance at winning one of three sweet prizes!

Milk Carton Ghosts

2008-10-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Last year, I decided to donate my cutesy Halloween decorations. Which left me with basically nothing. I was so happy to see this adorable idea pop up at Family Fun. Easy, spooky but not scary and free!

The steps couldn't be easier!

Wash out milk cartons (I emptied a few of my storage cartons, note the exp. date!).
Cut a hole in the back, about 2 inches around. I used a sharp knife.
Draw spooky faces using a dark color permanent marker.
Insert lights into the hole in the back. One string of lights takes care of my 3 ghosts.
Put inside or outside.

HALLOWEEN HELP!

2008-10-03T10:21:00.000-06:00

www.gehmanscountryfabrics.com

sometimes all it takes is one item to give you an idea. today, as i was scouring my closets for costume pieces for my kids and hubby and myself, i had an idea. and i searched online and found an excellent source to purchase my idea: gehman's country fabrics and more. and the idea is to use a plain white slip as a basis for a costume. it could be a fairy, or a bride, or in my case a grecian goddess. use the slip ($4.50 - $11 for toddlers through women sizes a TOTAL bargain) and then accessorize! i am hoping my ciela will love this idea, as everyone else's costumes are nearly completed. so for her greek goddess i will use the slip as the base dress, and make a grecian cover out of beautiful, but very see-through, chiffon (which i already have in my craft supply). then add some gold rope and a some golden leaves in a few places, along with a headband and strappy sandals to top it off. i am sure you have lots of ideas of what to do with this easy and very affordable basic halloween prop, so grab one or a few and create away! then let us know what you did, or plan to do. love it!

Zip Tip: sugar fix

2008-10-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Abel getting his treat fix!

Sometimes, eating a treat for no reason at all is great. For you, for kids...really for everyone! So the next time your are braving a whine fest or need a bump of motivation to scrub the tubs...announce a treat party (either in your head or out loud) and get a little sugar fix!

Make It Don't Buy It: Burritos

2008-10-02T12:38:00.000-06:00

We love to make and eat all kinds of burritos in the Maravilla household. They are easy, tasty, inexpensive and healthy. And they involve beans which are a big favorite food of ours! Burrito's are my go to meal item when I need a quick meal or when I make a meal for someone. Here's how we rock the burrito:

whole wheat tortillas
refried or whole beans (pinto, black or homemade)

Then to the beans you can add any of these:

1 can or 2 small tomoates, chopped small
1/4-1/2 cup carrot, sweet potato or cauliflower puree, or a bit of each
1/2 cup salsa
diced onion
bbq sauce ( I know how gross it sounds but Christy and I will tell you how yummy these are just squeeze a bit on to the tortilla then top with beans)

Top off with some monterry jack cheese, or leave plain. Bake, broil or freeze (just make sure to wrap individual burritos in foil to keep from getting soggy) depending if you are eating now or later.

Random Tips From Your Kindness

2008-10-02T12:25:00.000-06:00

today i have two very helpful tips for you. well, i say me, but i really mean from two of you excellent readers out there! first up we have a food storage tip from chantel:

I just wanted to tell everyone that you can order "cannery" stuff from the lds distribution center online and they ship it to your house free... Yup I said FREE. We just ordered a case of Red Wheat for 30.50 and that is all they charge. A case is 6 large ( i think #10) cans. Five different kits are now available: Wheat, Pinto Beans, Quick Oats, White Rice, and the Starter Kit.

it can be difficult to track down bulk food storage and i am very grateful for this tip! thanks chantel!!

now for those of you who are prepping for halloween, how about saving 20%? sounds great, right? kristen sent us a link to the grandinroad store, filled with excellent costumes, and lots of other halloween-y stuff. Use coupon code XXM93476. i know i have to be all dolled up for a party this year and they happen to have the costume i have been eyeing... and saving some cash is good incentive to purchase a fancy costume! great tip kristen!

October Tip Topics

2008-10-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm really not sure if I'm happy to welcome October or sad to see September pass at The Tip Spot. Christy and I still have so much to tip on veggies, fast fun and food storage. Good thing we're here to stay!

October is going to have some very awesome tip topics!

Fast Halloween Decor: we both love love love making our homes spooky without spending much money. Next week we'll tip on easy spooktacular decor.
Service Projects: there are so many ways to get your hands- and your kids hands- helping out in your neighborhood and our world.
Easy Gift Crafts: Double time your fall TV fix with a bunch of simple crafts to share.
Freeze It, Don't Buy It: this month, we'll test and try several recipes to make ahead and freeze for busy days and nights. And we promise more than soups!

We're excited to tip on all these things in October and hope you'll check in daily and leave your own tips too!

And don't forget to enter the big giveaway this week!

Tippin Tuesday

2008-09-30T10:21:00.000-06:00

how much is too much for these kiddos?

today i am asking the question, and i really need some help!

how much should i pay a babysitter?

we have 4 kids, and usually they are already asleep when we go out. we have a 10 year old, an 8, a 5 and a 2 year old. i know that we usually overpay, sometimes $60 for the night, but i am paranoid that we will get blacklisted for underpaying and never be able to find a good sitter again. help me please! how much is enough? and how do i figure that out?

The Tip Spot Share the Love Giveaway

2008-09-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Today just got a bit more exciting! The Tip Spot has a super cool giveaway to announce! Here's the scoop. Christy and I love our little outlet here at The Tip Spot. And we think you do too. But we're ready to invite more readers to the tip party. And we would love you help with that.

So add The Tip Spot to your sidebar, blog about us, or blast off an email to your friends. leave a comment on this post and let us know how you are spreading the word.

The super exciting news? Three winners will be randomly chosen to receive one of these really great prizes.

First up, Little Tow Heads is giving away an adorable embroidered tee or onesie. The winner will get to choose any shirt like this sweet dragonfly

or this really cool alien tee

Next up, Ellieeroo, is giving away a Lovieroo to a lucky Tip Spot reader. What are Lovieroo's, super soft, 14 inch blankets, the perfect size for little cuddling hands. The winner will get to choose from any Lovieroo!

These blankets feel just as soft as they look!!

And finally, Heidi Boos, will give away 25 custom designed photo cards or invitations! Christmas cards are coming up and how nice would it be to have Heidi make your card for you!! Her designs are simple and sweet:

I hope you are as excited as I am about this really big really awesome giveaway!

Talk The Tip Spot up for an entire week! This giveaway will end on Monday, October 6, at Midnight EST.

A big thank you to our awesome sponsors!

Zip Tip: vegetable style

2008-09-26T07:09:00.000-06:00

Your grater is a great (he he he) way to quickly add veggies to salads, soups, and sauces that are hard to detect and hard to taste. If you have a few extra minutes, put sauces and soups in a blender to really hide those veggies.

Bring on the vegetables

2008-09-24T07:05:00.000-06:00

This is one of my favorite recipes to use up lots of veggies in. And both my kids love to eat it!

"Black Bean (and mother load vegetable) Soup"

1 bag or 3 cans of black beans
1 can or 1 large tomato diced
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 T cumin
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic

Heat olive oil in large pot, add garlic, carrots, peppers and onion. Sautee until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Puree the whole pot of soup in blender, half at a time. Soup should be nice and thick. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips.

This recipe can also be make in the crock pot, just dump everything in for 4 hours on low.

Get creative with space for food storage!

2008-09-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

For a long time, I justified not getting my food storage going because of space. Then the guilt caught up and my creativity turned on to solve my problem. I house the majority of my food storage under my bed in those under bed storage tubs. My king size bed is raised on 6" platforms
to make accessing food and other items easy to get to (plus it makes me feel like royalty having to climb up into my bed!). I currently use 4 long tubs to keep sugar, flour, beans, rice, oatmeal, and pasta in.

If you don't have an entire room devoted to stocking your food storage, don't fret! There are lots of other ways to keep extra food around!

Where do you keep your food storage?

Tippin' Tuesday

2008-09-23T11:47:00.000-06:00

i definitely want my kids to be more $ savvy!

today we are answering a tip request from tara. she wants:

Ideas on how to teach young children about finances.

i am not the best person for this job. or maybe i am. i didn't quite grasp the money thing while growing up, and in high school started talking to friends as we were working and they were saving for college. i realized that most of them had a set amount they would spend freely--which was very small--and the rest went to various places determined by their parents. the crazy thing was, that they all seemed to understand how to spend logically and agreed with their parents on the plan. so fast forward several years, and my hubby and i are trying to teach our kids some real world lessons, so they cam be better at this whole deal than we are. some of our ideas:

*all the kids start getting allowance around the age of 5. that way they have money to work with, and it becomes real for them.
*we pay 10 cents a job. not much, but it adds up over the week to a couple of dollars for each kid.
*they must set aside 10% for tithing, and we explain how this is important to our family.
*there is no "borrowing" from mom or dad. meaning if they want a transformer, and are short $2, they have to wait until they actually have it. we have closed down the charge accounts here!
*we strongly encourage to save 10% for something. it could be nothing they have thought of yet, but just to practice the act of really saving.
*when we go shopping my kids know that we look for deals. clothes are rarely ever purchased for full price, and they are getting good at scoping at the deals! and quality is what we are all about.
*we are honest about the money. i explain why i think it's silly to spend so much money on something, and my kids share their opinions as well. sometimes we agree.

i have become better with money because i know my kids pay attention and i really want them to have it figured out long before i did. at this rate they are definitely ahead of me...i could definitely use more help in this area, and maybe you could help out tara along the way as well!

Vegetable Puree's

2008-09-22T13:38:00.000-06:00

About a year ago, Jessica Seinfeld's book, Deceptively Delicious, hit the shelves and talk shows. I went gaga for the idea of adding veggie purees to foods. I read the book, tried a few of the recipes then quickly realized I needed to adapt this idea into how my family eats (low on the meat, high on beans). My contributions to the vegetable tips this month will be how I use purees that don't make my kid question what they are eating!

First up, sauces and the purees that hide well in them:

1. Marinara Sauce: carrot, squash, sweet potato, cauliflower (I usually use 1/3 c of 2 different purees for this on pizza, spaghetti, pasta bakes...)
2. BBQ Sauce: carrot and cauliflower (1/3 cup of 1 or 1/4 cup of each)
3. White sauces: cauliflower or yellow squash

I use my rice cooker to "steam" the veggies and my blender to puree them. Now I'm off to start my next batch!

72-hour kit clothing

2008-09-22T07:17:00.000-06:00

A couple years ago, I read a book and attended a review of it by the author, who was a teenager during WWII in Germany. She told the attentive group of the time she had to quickly leave, in order to preserve her life without her suitcase...and then jokingly added that the only item she missed from her suitcase was underwear!!

Undies are a really important thing to have in your emergency kit!

And so are clothes. I choose clothing items that are a a size larger, easy to put on (sweat pants, layering tees and sweatshirts) easy to layer, and comfortable to drive, sleep and hang out in.

Make sure you have under and over clothes in your 72-hour kits!!

Zip Tip!

2008-09-19T10:24:00.000-06:00

my haven with her shirt bucket of lego's

all kids--and adults--should know how to make a "shirt bucket". it's very handy when you have more stuff than can fit into your hands. here's the scoop:

*with 1 hand grab bottom of shirt. (a dress or skirt is also possible)
*pull away from body
*now you have a "shirt bucket"
*keep 1 hand in place at all times, while the other fills the "bucket" with polly's and lego's

no more excuses for not picking up them toys!

Play Room: The Books

2008-09-18T10:54:00.000-06:00

My kids seems to get in the habit of wanting to read the same books over and over. And I don't blame them. It's hard to see all the books we have on a large shelf! So this week I started rotating books we keep in the bedroom with the ones on the book shelf in the play room. Afton and Abel were amazed at the new choices for bedtime reading last night. And Now that I made more space to maneuver the regular book shelf, it's easier to spot old favorites as well as new favorites.

Speaking of books, I really love the blog Vintage Childrens Books My Kids Love. The photo above features one of her Monday Giveaway books. I love vintage books and giveaways!!

Random Tips From Your Kindness

2008-09-18T10:49:00.001-06:00

Today's random tip is from me!

Lunchboxes are 75% off at Target!!! If you need a replacement, need one for a child next year or just want a good deal, go pick one (or two). I got mine for $3.00.

Play Room

2008-09-17T06:09:00.000-06:00

corner "a" in our playroom

our home is blessed with a decent sized play area, AND it's hidden from view because it's located in the basement. the big drawback: nobody sees the mess, so it doesn't get cleaned! well, i guess it sometimes does, but we are trying to fix that! i have plans in place, and choose one depending on how our week is going with the family:

1. clean the play room on monday. it's great to start the week off fresh! use any "open" day at your house.
2. everyone picks up 10 things, or 2 "groups" (ie. all the legos) of toys and puts them away. do this at least once a week, and more if it's feasible.

it is too hard in our home to clean up the crazy room everyday. i'm sure some of you can handle that. sometimes we race to see who can finish first, sometimes we sing while we work, and sometimes i watch the kids do it alone. ok, i fold laundry while they pick up. my family will actually use the playroom if it's not in disaster mode. and isn't that why we have one?

Eat Your Veggies!

2008-09-17T05:46:00.000-06:00

stephencooks.com

veggies...i love 'em, but my kids aren't quite on the bandwagon yet. so, what do i do about that? i force them in anyway i can! i try really hard not "trick" my kids into eating them, i want them to understand that it's ok to try new things they might think could hold all the yuckiness in the world. we get a lot of local veggies every week, because we participate in an organic csa farm, and i try to use new recipes often to help our family enjoy veggies in different ways. one excellent way to get any kind of cookable green in: make a pizza! almost any person who can chew food likes some kind of pizza, and greens really are easy to work with. here are a few suggestions:

*place a layer of spinach on top of your sauce, before your cheese. delicious!
*boil hardy greens (kale, chard, broccoli rabe etc.) til tender. drain, and press excess liquid out. saute with a bit of olive oil, and s & p. add to your regular pizza recipe right on top.
*greens shrink A LOT. so use a whole bunch, or two!

one of my favorite new recipes is found over at stephencooks.com. potato, leek, sausage, and broccoli rabe pizza. SOOO good. i omit the red peppers, used onions instead of leeks, use a chicken italian sausage, and use butter/yukon tato's. for those of you who want to avoid the sausage, it is still incredibly tasty; so go ahead! also you can definitely substitute a different green for the rabe. i must mention here that sharp provolone is my new favorite cheese, and a wonderful addition to most pizza's!

Tippin Tuesday: holiday traditions

2008-09-16T10:23:00.000-06:00

Patrick and his helipad landing creation in '06

Tara H. asked us to tip on ideas for family holiday traditions...the kind that give you and the ids warm fuzzies when you remember them. I'll give yo a list of my favorite then some ideas on how to spark your own traditions:

1. The last door my kids knock on Halloween is ours! And they get a new book, usually related to the holiday but not screaming Halloween (like The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, or Go Away Big Green Monster) I love any reason to give my kids a new book.

2. Our favorite Christmas tradition is making gingerbread houses. We use graham crackers and all the candy I have hidden away from my kids for months. Everyone makes their own and Patrick and I work up themes months in advance. Lat year mine was an Extreme Home Makeover house!

3. Leprechauns visit our house every St. Patrick's Day. And oh what a mess they make! Upturned toy buckets, overturned chairs...but they always leave lots of shiny gold (pennies) for the cleaner uppers!

Some ideas for creating your own traditions:

1. Steal them from others! Lots of great ideas out there on your friends blogs!! We'll post lots more when the holidays get closer.

2. Don't carry on a tradition that you don't enjoy just because it's a tradition.

3. Research a tradition from the home country of your ancestors and incorporate it into one of your own holidays.

Please share your favorite family tradition with Tara and the rest of us!

Fast Fun: balloon boppers

2008-09-16T10:08:00.000-06:00

1. Decorate a paper plate.
2. Tape a paint stirrer to the plate.
3. Blow up some balloons.
4. And bonk away!

(idea from the Toddler's Busy Book...and from Laura's awesome preschool blog)

Zip Tip: toy clean up

2008-09-12T07:05:00.000-06:00

Labeling the toy buckets in your house will make clean up for your own kids and their guests much easier. Including a picture of the toy (self taken and shrunken to size or downloaded from the Internet) will give helpful kids a good visual marker to know which toys go where.