Keeping kids busy

Posted under Tips

 

As a parent, summer isn’t all fun and games. We still have to get things done. How do you survive the “I’m Bored” complaining and still get some work done?

Well here’s a list of ideas for you:

Playdoh: everyone, even adults, has fun with this.

Coloring: when’s the last time you tried it? It’s therapeutic!

Make an art gallery for the day. They get to tape up their creations all over a particular room. They can take you through it when they are done and tell you the story behind each picture.

Have them design a snack or lunch. Put out a selection of stuff and let them go at it. My daughter liked to make peanut butter and chocolate sauce with marshmallow fluff on Ritz crackers.

Another favorite was taking toothpicks and making mini fruit kabobs. Mini marshmallows go good with this one too.

Hide and seek, but this time you take 10 toys and hide them all over the house. Make it hard, it will take them awhile.

Internet search: Pick a topic and have them find out whatever they can about it. My daughter was determined to find a certain character toy. She finally found that they were given away in McDonald’s Happy Meals in Asia and Australia!

Crafts: You can pick up some fun craft kits at Oriental Trading or craft store in your area.

Toothpick buildings. Remember this one? They still have fun with it.

Paper bag masks. Have them put on a play for you when they are done.

Paper airplane contests. Best looking and best flying.

Movie party: My daughter loved this one. She would pick a new movie. They have popcorn during the movie. Play for awhile, have pizza. She even made banners and decorated.

Make up funny songs. They can put on a concert for you later. You can even tape it and put it on YouTube. Set a time for the concert – and make sure you are on time!

Teach the dog a trick.

Have a cleaning contest. The first one to get their room clean gets a prize. No cheating, no stuff under the bed or thrown in the closets.

Actually, you can make contests out of just about anything. Prizes could be:

Winner gets to design dinner. We’ve gotten some strange combinations here, believe me!

Winner gets to pick a movie for the family to watch. Or a game for the family to play.

Winner gets to pick their favorite dessert for the family to share that night.

The beauty of these activities is that they can have their friends over. They can play basically unattended and out of your hair. I pretty much devote the dining room table to their activities. Now I fully appreciate the beauty of vinyl tablecloths!

Plus these activities can carry you through the dull rainy days (or too hot to go out days) too! 

These activities will keep the kids entertained while you get some work done!

Related articles

• Astonishing Toothpick Sculptures Created By Scott Weaver | OddStuff Lab (oddstufflab.com)
• Building With Toothpicks (Video) (magsx2.wordpress.com)

Is your car ready for the holidays?

Posted under Tips

 

It just occured to me that I’ve ignored a very important holiday preparedness chore.

One thing that you definitely want to take care of is your car.

A couple of weeks ago, I was walking up the hill towards my truck, and looking at it square on – I noticed that the tread was worn on the inside of the tire. I though, wow, that’s not good. I have to get new tires before winter.

They didn’t wait that long. Last weekend I had a dead tire. Total goner. I was fortunate that it didn’t blow out on my way home. Now imagine that your family is in the car and you’re miles away from home.

It doesn’t help that the holidays are during the worst season of the year for driving safely. Add the price of gas, and you have a lot of good reasons to make sure your car is taken care of during the next couple of weeks.

Tires

Tune-up

Check brakes

Check all fluids and belts

Fill windshield washer

Check wiper blades

And if your car is your baby, you’ll want to make sure it has a good waxing before it gets cold!

Make your holidays safe.

Related articles

• Winter’s Coming: Six Tips For Snow And Ice Driving (ridelust.com)
• Preparing Your Car for Winter Driving (autoinsurance.org)
• How To Winterize Your Car (newyork.cbslocal.com)

Cure Ugly Feet

Posted under Tips

 

 

It is a sinister dreaded disease that rears it’s ugly head this time every year.

 

Ugly Feet!

 

My daughter is wearing strappy sandals next week, and her feet look like, like, … I can’t even find a way to describe it… but they shouldn’t be seen in public. So for all you moms with daughters going to prom soon – check their feet quick!

 

Follow this process over the next 3 nights and see your ugly feet transform to soft and sexy.

 

Night #1 -

 

1. Remove nail polish

2. Trim nails and file smooth. Remember not to round the inner corners of your toe nails. This can cause ingrown nails – very painful.

3. Wash feet with a scrubbing grain product.

4. Use a nailbrush to gently loosen and scrub away dead cuticle build up. Use a moisturizing soap.

5. Once out of the shower, sit down and use pumice stone. Be gentle. Don’t overdo this. Take a few days if necessary.

6. Rinse feet.

7. Apply a good foot cream. Be sure to rub some around your cuticles.

8. Get a good nights sleep.

 

Do not polish your nails yet.

 

Night #2 -

 

Repeat steps 3 – 8.

Apply a cuticle cream. Let it work for a few minutes, then gently work away the remaining dead cuticle with an orange stick.

Do not polish yet.

 

 

Night #3 -

 

Repeat steps 3-8 again.

Touch up trim and file.

You can polish tomorrow.

 

Polishing -

 

When you do polish, make sure there is no lotion or oil residue on the nail.

A base coat helps keep colored polishes from turning your nails yellow.

Follow with 2 coats of color polish, letting each coat dry completely -.

Apply a top coat to protect.

 

For a lasting pedicure, I like to use an opal white color. It does show chips. Looks great a lot longer.

 

Many of the products on the market today are designed to dry quickly. Cold water also helps finish the drying and set the polish.

 

Now remember to take care of your feet with every shower to keep this from happening again!

Help getting through the crazy times

Posted under Motivational, Time Management, Tips

 

OK, life is going to be crazy for the next few weeks. You gotta chill and get a grip. This is supposed to be a happy time of year, remember?

So, for the next few weeks I’m going to focus on specific things you can do to get through with some sanity in tact.

This week, while you’re sitting in front of the TV, write out your Christmas cards. Do a few every night, and wa-la, they’re done!

I know we just came off a holiday weekend, and work was probably pretty bad today, but don’t let things slip. Take the few extra minutes and clean the kitchen. Do a quick wipe done of the bathroom. The pay off will be not having to spend an hour cleaning them later in the week.

Here’s an article I wrote earlier this year about using rituals to survive chaos >>>
It seems appropriate this time of year. I hope you find it helpful!

Stayed tuned. I’ll post some fast recipes, the Christmas Carol ebook (when I find what the heck I did with it), and more helpful stuff!

See you soon -

Carole

12 ways to find extra money

Posted under Tips

 

 

1.   Plan your menus and grocery list around the sale paper

2.   Use coupons.

3.   Shop on coupon doubling days.

4.   Only buy things if they’re on sale.

5.   Only buy things you truly love.

6.   Review your phone service. Are you getting the best deal?

7.   Ditto for car insurance.

8.   Drop loose change into a jar. It adds up quick!

9.   Carry a small memo pad. Write down every cent you spend. A real eye-opener!

10. Sell your used books that are in good condition at Amazon.

11. Clean out closets, storeroom, kids rooms. Plan a garage

sale, or sell items on eBay, or bring to a consignment

shop, or donate to charity for a tax write-off. 

12. Get rid of gas guzzling cars and trucks.