Hoping this is the motivation I need to start writing again.
All You, April 27, 2012
First of all, if you’ve never heard of this magazine and you consider yourself a couponer… it’s time to subscribe. In this issue alone there are $44.64 worth of coupons. And these are coupons you will use!!! For a complete of list of coupons click here.
Grouponers and Living Social experts will enjoy the article on how to make the most out of the deals.. and how to keep them organized. Think filters on your emails and keeping a dedicated calenders with reminders. Use an online or find a smart phone app at yipit.com, dealsgoround.com and citypockets.com.
Before a special dinner or event, chill your candles for 24 hours in the fridge. They will last longer and not drip.
Savers listen up! Start recording where and when you buy your favorite staples. You should start to see tends on who has sales and where you can buy at the lowest prices.
Have you tried Alice.com. I haven’t! Let me know if you do.
Drink water to shed the pounds.. well obviously.. BUT if you drink just 2 cups before a meal, your more likely to start shrinking. According to some recent study of course. Now how hard it is to gulp 2 cups of water before you pick up a fork. Tip: ask the waitress to bring you a glass of water right when you sit down and have it gone by the time your food arrives. You may want to stop at the restroom before you sit down though 
“Because I told you so” might be tempting but it can escalate your child’s frustration. Try to explain things the way a child can understand. If you don’t have the answer promise your kiddo that you will find out the answer together. I like www.whyzz.com
How much is it suppose to cost. Something all of us have asked when the oil change dude recommends extra service. First, I always pass and do my own research. Your car probably won’t burst into flames the minute you drive away. Then do your research. Do you really need your brakes cleaned (ummm probably not) go to AutoMd.
Find the cheapest gas at Gas Buddy. Yeah they have an app too!
So much content that I don’t have time to list. Great mag!
Working Mother, May 2012
No shocker here. 32% of working moms say the kitchen is the messiest room in the house.
Kids who eat familiar snacks are more likely to eat just until they feel full. So keep those healthy snacks in rotation.
Personal stationary or letterhead for your emails from MeebleMail. Prices range from 99 cents to $5 a year.
In the market for a computer, lawn mower, camping gear or carpet??? You will find the best deals this time of year. Take advantage of the sales now!
75% of Working Mother’s readers do not bathe their children daily.
OK – I know they are expensive, but still may be worth the investment for you, Kiss U Tissue sells “tissue tubes” that fit into your cup holders. Now, think of the last time you went “arm fishing behind your carseats to find a tissue.
Parenting, May 2012
“I’m with the Band” – When is your young one ready to actually make music, instead of that pleasant ”noise” that currently fills the house? Xylophone: 4 years, find a class www.kindermusik.com. Piano/Violin: 4 to 5 years. Look for your tot to love patterns and rhythm. There are also signs if they love the game of Memory or perhaps if he is sorting his (or her) Hot Wheels by color. Want to help go to www.suzukiassociation.org for assistance in methods. Guitar: Sorry rockers, you’re going to have to wait until your little one turns 7! Look for hand strength and dexterity, coordination. Try asking them to rub their belly and pat their head WHILE walking. Go to www.academy.org for classes.
Try to keep your child’s salt intake at healthy levels. Ages 1-3, 1,500 mg a day. Ages 4-8, 1,900 mg a day. Keep in mind, 1 tsp of salt is 2,300 mg.
Tame those mini mood swings! Anger? Get down to their level and recognize they are mad. Explain to them why they are mad “I know you are mad but we have to go home” repeat. Frustration? Say something like “This is tough and you are working so hard” Then tons of praise when she accomplishes the task. Sadness? Hugs and words, recognize why they are sad and change topic to a future event. Good luck! ;)
Keep your kids medical records at your fingertips with www.mothersknow.com. It isn’t cheap, $99 a year for the first, $10 each additional kids (or there are different packages). Looks easy enough. This website will compile your children’s medical history and you can recall from anywhere. Priceless if you are a family on the move.
Check this out! The Information Blanket (available in many languages). This blanket has tons of useful information for new moms. Information such as growth efacts, vaccines, fevers and more! For every blanket sold, one is sent to Haiti!
”What are you doing?” ”What are you doing?” “What are you doing?” ”What are you doing?” ”What are you doing?”. Repetition is how toddlers learn, but you can help move past this “cute” phase. Try to rephrase THEIR question. ”Want milk!” respond by saying “you would like a glass of milk” and so on. It will catch on. Also recommended is talking through out the day. Just explain your actions all the time. I already do this and people look at you at the grocery store like you are crazy, its fun.
No Spout, no straw, and no spilling? “My First Grown-Up Cup”. Find it on Amazon.
Fighting in front of the kids?!? Just remember: Let it out: “Unspoken tensions can be more stressful then actually fighting. Fight fair: no name calling or digging up hatchets, use feeling words. Follow up: Please don’t skip this step. Explain to your kids why you fought (age appropriate) and explain that everyone has life issues. Make nice: But don’t force this for the kids. They will know the difference.
My next book, “How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm” by Mei-Ling Hopgood Goes into detail on how other cultures raise and mold their children. Everything from potty training to bed times to fighting. Find it on Amazon. $16. I hope it’s available on the Kindle!
Thank you, Parenting Magazine, for a great Single Mom article. ”One. Solo. Uno.”
and
The Goldfish Cracker turns 50 this year!
Good Housekeeping April 2012
This is why I LOVE Good Housekeeping magazine. Real and affordable ideas! How awesome is this! Add lime (or lemon) juice to any “in the bottle” beverage to freshen up the taste. Only $5. Click here
Got 5 minutes and a Swiffer (not Wet Jet) Then you have time to clean your walls. Yes walls! The long handle helps you reach for cobwebs, corners and beyond!
Get these drawer organizers (come on, I know you need to organize that junk drawer. $10 for a set of three. Click here
Easy clean up ideas! For your microwave, just ZAP a bowl of water with half a lemon to loosen up past snacks, lunch and dinners. Yuk! Clean up Fido’s dog dish easier after meals by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray before meal time. Use the Furminator
Keep your winter closet free of moisture by hanging a mesh bag of chalk with your coats. Works in any storage closets (drawers, boxes, totes) that are pron to moisture.
Pick a cloudy day to clean your windows. Streaks dry on in sunlight! To spot them (streaks) wash your interior vertically and your exterior horizontal.
In the market for a vacuum? Buy now. Take advantage of the Spring Cleaning Sales.
Not just your typical Easter blog…
Holiday euphoria is almost over.
My daughter is almost three and hasn’t discovered the joy and anticipation that precedes a large gift or candy holiday… so therefore, I don’t make a big deal out of the gifts and candy either. Don’t get me wrong, we celebrate. I just do not worry about getting to the store to buy everything my daughter desires. How can she even know what she desires. She’s only 2.
Take this year. On “Easter Eve”, I was in Micheal’s buying hardware to hang my mirror, while Marci slept on my shoulder. On the way out I picked up an Oversize Toy Story Paint Book and a Dora Paddle Ball. I brought out a cool Pez Dispenser I bought on impulse a few weeks back and I reused the candy she had gotten at other Easter parties. That was all she got for Easter this year
We still made it a holiday. This morning, I made a holiday breakfast and gave her the gifts. It was special because we never paint and we painted during breakfast. Marci loved it as we run a pretty tight ship with crayons and color wonder sets (GENIUS)
This Easter cost me a whopping $14. I can’t imagine seeing her more happy, if I had spent hundreds.
I constantly get poked fun at for being so frugal and so carefree when it comes to gifts for my daughter. Typically it is by people with older children. But it probably isn’t “picking on”, it’s more like, “awe looking at that poor naive new Mom. She has no idea what a holiday can do to a kid yet. “. And they would be right.
This Christmas will probably be the first I will have to actually make an honest effort at. I don’t think a Mr Potato Head, Dora Bath Paints and a Dora Flashlight will cut it this year.
Thankfully I am blessed with so many people that care for Marci. Not only can I save my budget during the holidays, Marci always has plenty, because I could never contend with all her Grandparents. I wouldn’t want to even try. I would go broke.
Happy Easter
Mark 16:6 And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.
1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…
Oh Oprah…Magazine
“The Problem with hiding your real motives is that you’re essentially keeping a secret, And that’s bad news for your brain.”. There’s the reason you tell yourself you do things, and then there’s the true reason you do them. Clear your agenda and read the article.
Who else could have Suze Orman, Dr Phil and Dr Oz; back to back to back in their magazine other then Oprah Winfrey. Suze Ormans’ advice is always worth the price of the magazine. I’m telling you ladies, if you don’t know where you stand financially, it’s time to get to know Suze.
Genetically modified organisms. Chances are, you’ve heard of them and you think they are in a few foods you eat… and you also have been advised to try to avoid them. Download the ShopNoGMP app (for iPhone), or click here for a printable list or products from cereals to baby food to avoid.
