Tuesday Tip Jar

This is a quick and easy tip that keeps my purse (somewhat) cleaner...

In the interest of child and parent sanity, I've carried crayons in my purse for those unexpected down times mommas often find themselves with as long as I can remember. But, I hated the way they left "goobers" all over the bottom of my purse. Even when I kept them in a Ziplock-style bag, it wasn't a perfect solution.

I don't remember where I saw this but have been so thankful I did.

Ya know those mini M&M plastic tube containers in the candy aisle? Pop for one (or more depending on how many little ones you need to entertain), eat the candy, and VOILA! Instant perfect 6 crayon holder!

Crayons contained and (mostly) unbroken - a momma idea that works for me!

As an added benefit, I also keep my iPod earbuds in another so I have them with me (and, more importantly, have them UNTANGLED) whenever I head to the YMCA!

For more TTJ, stop by Blogmommas today!

Tuesday Tip Jar: chore cards for pre-readers

So, do your kids have chores? Daily tasks? Family contribution tasks? For money or expected?

I think chores are often one of those parent conundrums we all deal with at some point. At the Viking Hus, it was determined early that the Vikings would be responsible for their general upkeep. LOL But, how does a mom do this with preschoolers, kindergarteners, and/or young children?

The trick was I wanted something that a certain level of parental hands-off-edness. LOL I dreamed of being able say to my 4 and 6 year old "Go do chores" and the Vikings being able to do them without 64 million repeats of "now what?" and "what else do I have to do?" Having pre-readers, this presented a challenge.

So, I decided to have their chore chart "speak" to them in pictures! And, it has been wildly successful! A little card stock and some clip art and I give you the Vikings' chore card for today!

Translated?

Flicka has to make her bed, wipe the dining rm and kid tables, make sure her closet area is clean (pick up clothes, put shoes back where they belong, etc), and pick up 5 toys from anywhere in the house and put them in her room.

And, Pojke has to make his bed (which consists of throwing his blanket over a toddler bed LOL), pick up his multitudinous Matchbox cars, make sure his floor is clean/clear, make sure tub toys are out of the tub, and pick up 5 additional toys.

For more TTJ, stop by Blogmommas today!

Tuesday Tip Jar

Nothing earth-shattering here this week but I thought I'd share our frugal juice idea...

Since the Vikings were old enough to drink it, I've always cut their juice 50-50 with water. Paritally due to the whole sugar-content-on-their-growing-teeth thing but also for the I-don't-wanna-spend-10-dollars-a-week-on-juice thing! LOL

We had an old side-by-side fridge with a water dispenser that made it easy to do as I was filling sippies. However, that fridge died on us a couple months back & adding water while serving juice was becoming more of a pain.

So, instead of making the juice as directed and adding water when it was served, I just improvised and flipped that idea around. Now, when I make juice from concentrate, instead of adding the recommended 3 cans of water, I just add an extra can or two into the pitcher.

It was kind of a "well DUH" moment but it's fixed a frustration of mine and that made it a tip I wanted to share.

For more TTJ, stop by Blogmommas today.

Tuesday Tip Jar

Well, I've been off the TTJ wagon for a few weeks as the Christmas/New Years season took hold...then Pojke's birthday sneaked up as usual right after New Years.

So, now I'm jumping back in today with what's probably not my best parenting moment but it's lowered the frustration level around here with trying to explain the passage of time to two often very impatient little raiders.

Flicka's dear sweet kindergarten teacher is tackling the concrete skill of telling time by the reading of the clock but there's been very little success at home with describing the abstract theory of the passing of time.

"How long 'til we (pick an activity)?"

And, no matter if I said 5 minutes or 500, the answer was always the same...

"But, when IS that?" or "but that will take FOR-EV-VER!"

So, I used their understanding of cartoons. LOL

Now, we'll be leaving in one "Diego" or 30 minutes. Or, Grandma's house is five "Turbo Dogs" away. Or, the drive to school if one-half of a "Veggie Tales" Or, you have one "Sid the Science Kid" to get your room clean! LOL

It finally gives them a point of reference to understand how long something will take or how long until something takes place. And, their understanding means less whining...well, a little less. LOL

For more TTJs, stop by Blogmommas' today.

Tuesday Tip Jar

Been out of the loop lately in my little corner of the blogosphere so just jumping back in (again) with a TTJ tip. This has worked well for me the last two years. While I'm not doing it this year, I would definitely still recommend it to anyone who asks.

Keeping in mind the economy and its effects on most everyone I know plus the added benefit of handmade vs. store-bought presents, in terms of extended family Christmas gifts, try giving everyone the same thing!

Two years ago, many of my extended family got an individual Christmas ornament picked out just for them. Last year, I went all crafty and made about about 12 to 15 corn pillows out of regular placemats from Big Lot for all the all the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and such.

Now, I'm about the frugal, homemade, and sincere. I'm not talking about taking this route only to make your life easier but it does have that added benefit since you can do all your gifts at once (either at home or in one store). In addition, for those of us on tight budgets, you have a relatively fixed cost of what to expect at the cash register.

For more TTJ's, go to Blogmommas today.

Tuesday Tip Jar

Not exactly brain surgery but it's workin' for us this week...

A couple months back, I got a secondhand iPod Touch from a friend who was upgrading to an iPhone. Thanks to lots of free apps from Apple's app store, it's the gadget of choice for everyone in the house! LOL I gave DaHubby his own "page" of apps to play with as well as a page for the Vikings which contains some phonics games, some puzzles, and such along with some short Sesame Street podcasts that will keep one of them busy for 8-10 min of downtime. LOL

Well, combing and "doing" Flicka's hair each morning for school was becoming a real pain. The tangles, the whining, the actual doing, which accessories to use, etc. was just too much to deal with at 7:15 in the morning. LOL

One morning, I was trying to finish her hair as she was finishing her breakfast. And, my iPod happened to be on the dining room table since I had been getting my to-do list together for the day.

"Momma, can I play a game on your iPod?"

And, the lightning bolt struck...."sure, baby."

No more problems doing her hair! LOL The iPod was the perfect distraction from the de-tangling and doing and has got us out the door on time for over a week now!

For more Tuesday Tip Jar ideas, stop by Blogmommas today!

Tuesday Tip Jar

I've had two requests on Twitter this past week about the refried bean recipe I use to I thought it would be worthwhile to just make it a post...

We eat A LOT of refried beans around here. Quesadillas and bean dip are two of our favorites. After buying cans and cans of store-bought stuff filled with tons of sodium and who-know-what, I decided to try making them myself. I started with the Happy Housewife's recipe and have gone from there.

So, basically, this is it:

7am Day One
One half a bag of dry pinto beans in several cups of water in my OFF crockpot. Soak for 12 hours.

7pm Day One
Check water level, turn crockpot on low.

7am Day Two
Turn off crockpot and let cool. Then, place in fridge.

Dinner time Day Two
Pour about 1-2 T of oil or butter (your choice, we use olive oil) in large pot or pan.

Scoop batches of beans into blender, adding water from crockpot as needed to desired consistency.

I also throw a small chopped onion into one blender batch.

Pour into pot or pan. Heat to simmer.

I add 1-2 tablespoon EACH of cumin, garlic powder, and chili pepper.

Stir frequently until desired consistency. Use for dinner that night or store for later meals.

Enjoy! To see more TTJ, go to Blogmommas today.

Tuesday Tip Jar

Necessity is the mother of invention - and when you are traveling with young ones, out of necessity you get REAL inventive! LOL

The Vikings and I made a one-day road trip across the state to visit my best-est friend of 30+ years and her daughter who had just had a major surgery. And, from experience I knew we'd have "down time" here and there at the hospital in addition to the 3-hour travel time.

A year or so ago, I ordered some plain canvas bags from Oriental Trading. I took two of them and customized them for each Viking with their name. Then, I dubbed them their "busy bags". They can fill them with whatever toys, crafts, cars, etc. to bring along with them. And, they can't bring more than will fit in the bag easily.

We've used this idea when we travel as well as when I've had to take the Vikings unexpectedly to a meeting I attended. We've taken the bags to choir and praise & worship practice when DaHubby and/or I are on stage but the Vikings need something to keep them occupied.

It's has been a HUGE help in nearly every case!

For more TTJ, stop by Blogmommas.com today.

Tuesday Tip Jar

As the season changes and the accompanying wardrobe with it, I've stumbled onto a few things in my closet I haven't seen for several months...which serves as a memory jog for today's tip.

At the suggestion of an article or blog post I had seen awhile back, I tried this de-cluttering idea last year. It's a good one but you have to be patient.

Take all the clothes hanging in your closet. Turn the hangers around so that they hook from behind. Then, go about dressing yourself as normal. After wearing an item, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the regular way. Then, make yourself a note somewhere that in 6 months time whatever hangers aren't turned around are clothes you can donate and/or pass along.

If you make it through a whole season without wearing an item, chances are you don't need it, don't want it, or are hanging on to it for the wrong reasons.

For more TTJ, stop by Blogmomma's today.

Tuesday Tip Jar

While my impression tells me that this may make some folks uncomfortable, it really is the best tip working for us at this moment and I wanted to share it.

For whatever reason, both Vikings and I have had plantar warts in the last year. After having mine treated 3 times at my doctor's office, she mentioned that the freezing didn't appear to be working and asked if I was willing to try a possible low-tech alternative. Being all about the frugal and more natural treatments, I said sure!

Duct tape.

Yea, I know. I have had more rolled eyes at this than most of my other parenting decisions. "There's no proof...It's an old wives' tale...There's no scientific correlation between duct tape and healing warts...It's a virus that will go away on its own so why treat it." Blah blah blah. There's also conflicting research for and against it. Even the Mayo Clinic is on the fence but says to give it a try

All I know is that I wasn't ready to subject either Vikings to the pain of having them frozen off and I never had any success myself with OTC meds like Compound W.

So what did I have to lose?

The theory is that the virus that causes plantar warts (a strain of papillomavirus but NOT the one that contributes to cervical cancer) is so relatively mild to our system that the body just doesn't consider it a threat. The duct tape supposedly irritates the skin enough to tell the immune system "hey, something's goin' on over here" and the body takes over from there.

It started last year with Flicka's foot. Then, two on my heel. So far, we have a three-for-three success rate. Currently, we're treating one on Pojke's finger and one on his heel. And, just in the last week, both have significantly decreased in size.

After every bath, I put a nickle-sized piece of duct tape on Pojke's finger and heel. Then, cover it with "skin tape" or a Band-aid. It could take a few weeks but I figure it's WAY better than a trip to the doctor's and any other treatment currently offered...and it cost me nothing to try.

For other TTJ tips, stop by Blogmommas today!

Tuesday Tip Jar

Better late than never...we've been caught up in the first-day-of-school dramas. LOL

I remember reading about this tip somewhere but can't remember where so I can't give credit where credit is due. However, to make up for it, I have an embarrassing but illustrative picture. LOL

I was making a batch of freezer salsa 2-3 weeks ago and had a ton of onions to dice. Before my eyes could remind me how much I *really* dislike cutting large quantities of onions, I remembered this tip...

Wear swim goggles! LOL
Not one tear was shed!

For more TTJ, stop by Blogmommas.com today.

Tuesday Tip Jar

As many other parents are, we're getting ready for the new school season around here. Flicka starts kindergarten next week at a local public school while I'll continue "homeschool preschool" with Pojke using the Letter of the Week curriculum along with Heather's AWESOME ABC Bible verse idea. DaHubby also heads back for his final academic year next Tuesday as well (praise God! LOL).

So....I want to be able to display projects, papers, etc. that the Vikings each produce (and DaHubby's too if he wants! LOL). I also have an interior hallway with very, VERY bare walls that I'm often stumped by. As a result, a win-win solution.

I took two of those 3M Removable Utility Hooks, a piece of real clothesline, and some clothes pins. And, voila! A mini art gallery ready for all the cool stuff the Vikings will want to display!

For more TTJ, stop by Blogmommas.com today.

Tuesday Tip Jar

As I'm typing this, it's Thursday and I'm schedule this post for next Tuesday...so here's praying it all goes smoothly! LOL

My tip for this week - my "baking soda rotation" method. LOL Since I use baking soda and vinegar to clean the toilets around here, I go through a fair amount more than I used to. LOL

I also keep baking soda in the freezers and fridge to reduce smell/taste problems.

I used to have separate systems for their supply and rotation and I thought last month that that was silly so I combined them.

I change out the 3 baking sodas out of the freezers and fridge every 3 months. Then, fresh ones go in the freezer/fridge and the used ones go under the bathroom sink. When it's time to scrub the toilet, I have multiple boxes to choose from. And, at the rate I used them, they seem to run out just as it's time to rotate new ones into the fridge.

Simple but sanity increasing. So, for more TTJs, go see Blogmommas.com.

Tuesday Tip Jar

I read about this idea somewhere online - I believe a mom was using it to help her kids countdown 'til their active duty dad came home from overseas. So, I thought I'd try it with Flicka's back-to-school, starting-kindergarten countdown. But, it could be used for anything...

I counted how many days until school started and made a simple paper chain with that many links. Each night, Flicka rips one link off. When they're all gone, school will start the next morning.
It's makes time passing somewhat more tangle for the younger concrete thinker.

For more TTJ, stop by Blogmommas today.

Tuesday Tip Jar

Another of those thing I thought everyone did but found out maybe not! LOL

Gearing up for a block party this coming weekend and DaHubby and I will be smoking some chickens for out part. Smoked (or baked or crockpot'd) chickens mean lots of "guts" with which to make chicken stock.

Pouring water, dumping in the leftovers, boiling and seasoning is the easy part - but getting the fat strained off afterward is sometimes a pain.

So, as you are putting the broth into the fridge to cool, place a piece of wax paper cut to the shape/size of your pot on the top of the broth. As the fat rises to the top, it clings to the wax paper. The next morning - off comes the wax paper and with it all the fat!

For more TTJ, stop by Blogmommas today!

Tuesday Tip Jar

This week's tip is short and sweet.

I've stopped trusting how much soap/detergent portions that manufacturers claim I need to use. LOL Just like the car dealership telling you to come in every 3,000 miles for an oil change (at $20-40 a pop) when your manual from the automaker says every 5,000-7,000 miles (or more)!

I slowly cut back on the "cap-full" measurement of detergent for each laundry load until I reached the tipping point of cleanliness and I'm now saving nearly 1/2 a cap-full per load.

And, I've started cutting my dryer sheets in half. Yes, in half. It's works nearly year 'round - with Michigan dry, static-y winter months as an exception. So, instead of buying a box of 70 count dryer sheets about every 7 weeks, I am now doing it every 3.5 months!

I know it's just pennies but when I'm trying to keep us on a $60-65/week grocery budget, leaving off a $2.79 box of dryer sheets means I have nearly $3 to spend on more produce or one more dinner worth of meat.

For more Tuesday Tip Jar ideas, stop by Blogmommas today!

Tuesday Tip Jar

I was a little stumped today coming up with an idea but I sat here thinking about what I had already done today, two tips ideas jumped out at me.

SO, for this week, this one may be Michigan-specific since I don't know how other states handle it but one of the few downsides of living in a relatively small town sometimes is a lack of book resources. We have a wonderful local independent bookstore - which I would shower with funds and gladly support that store if we HAD funds to do so. There's the little mall's Barnes and Noble but it's pretty small. Finally, the closest Borders and full-sized B&N is 45 minutes away in South Bend.

However, as an alternative until that time, DaHubby and I continue to be amazed and blessed by the books we can acquired through Michigan's interlibrary loan program now called MeL or the Michigan eLibrary.

While our local library as well as the library the next district over are very well stocked considering, they just can't have everything all the time. So, I've ordered fiction, reference books, homeschooling books, and workout videos from MeL. It takes a couple days for it to arrive but then I get to keep it the standard borrowing time (if not longer) and often have the option to renew it online.

Recently, as DaHubby's been working on his capstone paper, he was trying to not rely solely on online citations and the search for nuclear field books began. Thanks to MeL, I picked up one book this morning from Eastern Michigan University's library. And, when I got home, the other one we had requested from Michigan Technological University had come in since I had stopped by this morning.

So, instead of having to drive 2.5 hours to the University of Michigan (the only other place who held those books that we could find) to make extensive copies ('cuz dem mean ol' Wolverines won't let anyone other than fellow Wolverines use their books without exorbitant fees *wink*), I had two books for DaHub's research delivered to our local library less than a mile away.

For more Tuesday Tip Jars, stop by Blogmommas.com today.

Tuesday Tip Jar

We have two summer crafty recipes we are going to try out this month so I thought I'd share.

First, here's some really quick, frugal sidewalk paint that you can make with just three ingredients.

And, second, the "World's Best Bubbles" recipe we received from our Parents as Teachers playgroup but it looks like it's from the people at Kid Concoctions.

2.5 qts water
1/2 C light corn syrup
1 cup liquid dish detergent

1. Mix water and corn syrup together until completely blended
2. GENTLY stir in the liquid dish detergent
3. Bubbles will store for several weeks in an airtight container.

Also, add a little color to your bubbles by stirring in a few drops of food coloring. And, create bubbles in many different sizes by dipping various items such as a plastic strawberry basket or wire whisk into bubble solution.

For more Tuesday Tips, go to Blogmommas today!

Tuesday Tip Jar

I dug this out of my Works for Me Wednesday archives because my brain is completely consumed by planning for our should-be-six-but-with-kids-it-will-be-eight-hour trip to the Upper Peninsula on Friday. LOL

So, we're struggling around here lately with Pojke and Round Two of "which shoes go on which feet?" So, I tried the same idea with him as I did with Flicka.

I took a permanent marker and drew two small smiley faces on each of the arch areas/ inside edges of the soles of his shoes. Then, I told him that when he put his shoes on to make sure that the smiley faces were facing each other so they could "kiss" and say goodbye before we left! LOL

For more TTJ, stop by Blogmommas and see the other great Tuesday Tip Jar ideas.

Tuesday Tip Jar

Never thought of this as a Tuesday Tip or a Works For Me Wednesday idea but when someone suggested I share the idea, I thought "why not?"

Flicka's grandma bought her grandaughter a camera last year. And, Flicka promptly did something to make it stop working. So, we returned it and downgraded her to something less expensive but added a digital frame to the bill so she could see the pictures she took.

That digital frame is now Flicka's night light. And, every couple of months, I format the little 64K memory card we gave her that no longer worked with something of ours and dump some new photos on there. She gets such a kick out it and it's always good for a week or two of her trying to stay awake 'til the end of the new set.

And, it warms my momma heart knowing she falls asleep looking at goofy family pictures she, her daddy, or I took.

For more TTJ, check out Blogmommas.