•10 Ways To Sneak Some Extra Fruits And Vegetables In Your Family’s Diet
We all know by now that we should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they? Sometimes it is just not easy to get them all in there. We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food. If your family is anything like mine, they’d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. So we’ll have to get creative. Here are a...
•8 Fun Ideas To Get Your Kids To Eat Their Veggies
Do you have trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies? I sure do.
My daughter used to be great about trying and eating just about anything…and then she turned 2 ½. Now it is pretty much impossible to get her to eat anything other than corn when it comes to vegetables. So I had to come up with some fun and sometimes sneaky ways to get some veggies in her. Here are a few of my favorites.
1) Make big pot of vegetable soup, and then add some fun noodle shapes. You can use alphabet noodles...
•A Frugal Lifestyle Brings Joy
Very few things can bring more strife and stress into a family household than issues around money and not having enough of it to cover expenses and bills. If money issues or lack of it are taking away the joy in your life and you want to take steps to do something about it, start by banning the “if only” mindset.
“If only we could go out to dinner, I’d feel more energetic about the house cleaning that I have to do later tonight.”
“If only we had a new TV, then we’d have a more pleasant...
•April Fool’s Day Treats – You Are Serving What For Dinner?
April Fool’s Day is the perfect day to have fun with the meals you serve. Surprise your family on April 1st with these fun meal ideas.
Fake Hot Dogs And French Fries
Your kids will love fake hot dogs and French fries for lunch this April fools day. Peel a banana and spread peanut butter all over it to give it the appearance of a hot dog. Serve it in a hot dog bun with some strawberry preserve drizzled over the hotdog to make it look like ketchup.
For the fries, peel some apples and cut...
•Do Disposable Diapers Make Potty Training Harder?
Yes, I think disposable diapers make potty training harder. If you look at the average age a child was potty trained even just a generation ago, you can see that kids now take a lot longer to give up the diaper in exchange for using the potty. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that modern disposable diapers make it harder for your child to be potty trained and what you can do to make it easier on him or her.
One of the biggest improvements that has been made in the disposable diaper...
•Dr. Seuss Inspired Recipes – Your Kids Will Love These
What child doesn’t grow up with Dr. Seuss books? We have quite a few of them lying around the house. The kids love the silly characters and the rhymes. The Dr. Seuss inspired recipes that I’m about to share with you have been a great hit in my house. Of course the famous green eggs and ham are included, but there are also quite a few other snack and meal ideas. Create a fun Dr. Seuss inspired afternoon with some of these recipes and of course don’t forget to read a few of the books with your...
•Easy Kids Crafts For Halloween
Are your kids excited about Halloween yet? We don’t have a day go by where my daughter doesn’t ask me if it’s time to go trick-or-treating yet. Keep them busy while they wait with these easy kids craft ideas you can do together.
Ghost Hand Puppet Kids love playing with puppets and there’s hardly an easier puppet to make than a ghost. All you need is a white paper towel, or a white handkerchief, a rubber band and a black marker.
Ask your child to spread out her thumb and pinky, but keep the...
•Fun Christmas Activities To Do With The Kids
Waiting for Santa to get here can be quite a challenge for a kid. The days in December until the 25th seem to go on forever. Make the waiting a little easier this year. Here are some fun Christmas Activities you can do with your kids all through December.
Make Getting The Christmas Tree A Family Affair
Go out and pick a Christmas tree with the kids. You can go to one of the many Christmas tree lots and let the kids help you pick out the perfect tree. Or you can even go out and cut your own...
•Fun With A Stick Horse Toy
As a child do you remember playing with one of those stick horses? I spend hours upon hours riding my little horse around the house and taking care of him. Even if you have a little girl who's been begging for a pony or a little boy who loves playing cowboy, an old-fashioned stick horse is timeless that every child will enjoy.
In this day and age of high-tech toys with ponies nearly real life sized, and dolls that little girls can feed and change diapers on. The television keeps them glued to...
•Grocery Shopping The Healthy Menu Mailer Way
I have to admit, grocery shopping isn’t exactly one of my favorite things to do. In case you can’t “hear” the sarcasm in my voice, let me tell you that I’d rather be doing just about anything other than grocery shopping. I tried delegating it to my husband, but we usually end up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and potato chips when I do that. Since I can’t avoid grocery shopping, I found a few things that make it a more pleasant and most importantly a faster process. I’d like to...
•Halloween Cakes – Centerpiece And Dessert
A Halloween cake is not only the perfect dessert for any Halloween party and a must have for someone with a birthday on or around October 31st, but also makes a great center piece for your food table if you are throwing any type of Halloween party. Here are two simple, yet impressive Halloween cakes that you can try this year.
Pumpkin Cake
No, we are not taking about a pumpkin flavored cake, but a light colored cake that looks like a pumpkin when you’re finished decorating it.
You will need...
•Halloween Costume Ideas For Toddlers
Dressing up your toddler for Halloween is a lot of fun. Enjoy it while you can. Before you know it your sweet little toddler will be in kindergarten or first grade and will have developed a much stronger opinion on his or her costume choices and you'll no longer be able to dress him in the costume of your choice. Here are a few ideas for toddler Halloween costumes to get you started. Of course there are plenty of other options out there as well. With a little creativity, the possibilities are...
•Halloween Craft: Make Halloween Masks With Paper Mache
You'll need just a few things to make just about any mask you can imagine. Those items include balloons, newspaper, wallpaper glue and some acrylic paint. A pair of sharp scissors comes in handy to cut out eyes and mouth. Wear old clothing, or put an apron on both you and your child. Making the mask can get a bit messy.
Cover your work area in plenty of newspaper to protect it from glue and paint. Next, cut several newspapers into strips. Blow up a balloon so it is slightly larger than your...
•Healthy Easter Treats – Easter Bunnies Bring More Than Chocolate Eggs
Easter baskets don’t have to be full of chocolate and peeps. Here are some great ideas that will fill your Easter basket without all the extra fat and sugar.
Bubbles
What child doesn’t love to blow bubbles? Grab a couple of bottles of bubbles for this year’s Easter basket. The kids will have a blast with them and with a little luck it will be warm enough outside to keep them busy and running around chasing bubbles for quite some time.
Sidewalk Chalk
Another fun treat is sidewalk chalk....
•Healthy Treats For Little Trick-Or-Treaters This Halloween
Candy and other sweets don’t have to be the only treats you hand out to little trick-or-treaters this Halloween. There are also plenty of healthy options available that will be just as fun without causing a sugar rush and cavities. Here are some ideas for healthy treats you can use this year.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit makes a great portable snack as well as a good Halloween treat. Grab a few bags of dried fruit, like apples, raisins, cherries, cranberries, dates, apricots and banana chips....
•How Much Do You Really Need To Make As A WAHM?
Many of you have been thinking about staying home with the kids, but aren’t sure they can afford to do so. Living expenses are so high these days, it is almost impossible to make meats end on one income. The idea of coming up with an income close to what you are making in your corporate job seems impossible. But do you really have to recreate your current salary to bring you home?
No, absolutely not.
Here is why. This great job of yours is costing you quite a bit. You may want to take a few...
•How Much TV Is Too Much For Kids?
Remember the days when there was no TV? Well plenty of us don't. Today television is the norm for all families and it's really cut into 'family time' in a big way. Talk is to a minimum as everyone stares at the screen. Set up a few rules and regulations and you can prevent your whole family from becoming strangers in their own home.
Set specific times for watching television. Many kids turn on the TV as soon as they get home each day. On weekends they wake up and the first thing they do is...
•Let’s Play Outside – 4 Fun Outdoor Activities For Families
With the weather finally starting to cool down, now is a great time to go outside and play with your kids. Not only is the sunshine and fresh air good for everyone in the family, but playing outside is also a great way to get some exercise. Here are some ideas for you and your kids.
Ride Bikes
When was the last time you took a bike ride through the neighbor hood? Riding bikes is a great way to spend some quality time with your kids outside after work. Dust off your old bike, put helmets on...
•Potty Training Dolls – Are They Useful Potty Training Your Child?
Potty training dolls are advertised as the latest and greatest tool to help your child learn how to use the potty. These special dolls can be a good tool to help your child understand what potty training is all about, but are they really necessary? This will in part depend on both you and your child. Before you decide, read on to find out what potty training dolls are, how they are used and in what case they can be helpful in toilet training your little one.
A potty training doll is a special...
•Saving Money By Making Your Own Bread Is Easy
Have you seen the price of bread lately? It's enough to make one wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper to make your own. You know what? It is! For the cost of a typical loaf of bread (between $2-$4), you can make more than one loaf of homemade goodness. A large bag of bread flour can make quite a few loaves with a handful of other ingredients. You'll need some yeast, salt, sugar, milk, water, oil and maybe an egg or two, depending on your chosen recipe.
When you're at the grocery store, take a...
•St. Patrick’s Day Treats
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year with some of these fun and of course mostly green St. Patrick’s Day Treats.
Leprechaun Ale
Place a scoop of lime sherbet into a tall glass, pour ginger ale over it and watch it fizz. This can be made even fancier by rubbing some lime juice on the rim of the glass and then dipping it in green sugar crystals before you pour the leprechaun ale.
Lucky Clover Cake
Prepare 9 x 13 inch cake using a boxed cake mix. We like to use yellow cake for this. Get a...
•Tips For Fun-Filled Trick-Or-Treating For Your Kids
What's a child's favorite part of Halloween? Going trick-or-treating, of course. What could be more fun than dressing up, and then walking from door to door collecting plenty of candy along the way? Best of all, this fun tradition takes place at night. Make this the most fun trick-or-treating experience for your child with these simple tips.
Location, Location, Location
Pick a good neighborhood with plenty of people who are prepared for and welcome trick-or-treaters. If you are new in the...
•Tips For Potty Training A Stubborn Toddler
I potty trained quite a few kids over the years, but I have to tell you, my daughter has been the toughest so far. She is just such a stubborn child – especially when it comes to potty training. If you are in the same situation, here are some tips that have worked for my daughter and me. With a little luck they will work for you as well.
Stick To Your Plan
Once you determined that your child is ready for potty training, it is especially important with a stubborn child that you stay...
•Treat Your Eczema Naturally With These 3 Tips
Eczema outbreaks can be from unpleasant to painful. Eczema sufferers are constantly looking for treatment options and relief for this condition. Some the most effective ways to provide relief for the red, dry and itchy spots are natural treatments. Here are three of these that you can try to treat your eczema.
Soothing Oatmeal Baths
Oatmeal baths are a wonderful way to treat mild to severe eczema. Ground oatmeal is added to warm (not hot) bath water. The oatmeal soothes itchy skin so you can...
•Vegetables – Health Food Or Killers
With the recent outbreak of e-coli traced back to bagged spinach of all things, the FDA now suggests consumers thoroughly wash all bagged produce (including salad) before consuming it to avoid the extreme diarrhea e-coli bacterial can cause.
The e-coli bacteria can be found in any raw or undercooked foods. Most often outbreaks are linked to undercooked meat, or unsafe handling of raw meat, particularly ground beef. What was up until now less well known is that e-coli can also be found on...
•Yummy Halloween Treats
Other than dressing up in costumes, Halloween is all about yummy treats. Of course you are not limited to just candy when it comes to Halloween food. Here are some great snack and meal ideas. These are perfect for a Halloween party, or as a way to enjoy the excitement as you count down to the big day.
Ghostly Sandwiches
Fix your favorite sandwich on white bread. One of our favorites for these ghostly sandwiches is a turkey and cheese sandwich with just a touch of mayonnaise (all white...
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