A Small Slice of Heaven

A Mothers Best Friend

2012-09-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

If you have some extra money and are unsure what to do with it may I suggest purchasing a steam cleaner. About a year ago I was struggling with some hard to clean area's of my home when I seen one of those infomercials come on about steam cleaners. Now I know what your about to say...I was reeled in hook line and sinker for just 3 easy payments of (insert whatever $ you can imagine here) but NO I was not.

It did get me thinking about steam cleaners though and after figuring out my budget and looking at many models online I was able to find a keeper. It is my Steam Fast - Portable Power Steam Cleaner (Model SF-246).

What originally started my hunt was the problems we were having in our lower level bathroom. We live in a tri-level duplex and the only tub/shower is located in the very lower level. A small window was the only way of removing moisture build up from every day showers. Well that and a sub-par exhaust fan that more often than not sounded like a train leaving the station when it was on. Well after a few long winter months without the window open and the kids being scared of the extremely loud fan we began to have a mold problem. Mold around the ceiling and fixtures mostly and no matter what I did I couldn't keep up with it. Let me tell you that if you think its hard to breath in a hot moist shower you can just imagine how fun it was to try and clean mold away with bleach products in the same low ventilated area. Needless to say I was over it and on the search for something that could lend me a hand without making me pass out from fumes was on!

It seemed like a steam cleaner would be the best option since it not only cleaned but sanitized the area without the fumes of bleaches & other harsh chemicals. All I had to do was add clean water, plug it in and vuala a lean mean steam cleaning machine was I!! It not only helped with our mold problem but I've also used it other places all around the house. I use it to clean my window casings, carpets, stove top, oven, grill grates and so much more!

I purchased my Steam Fast from walmart.com so I could reap the benefits of their free ship to store which saved me a few extra bucks and it came within a week. I was very excited and it didn't disappoint. Not only was it a steam cleaner it also came with a few accessories: utility head, cloth cover, shoulder strap, steam jet nozzle, nozzle tip, nylon brush, brass brush, extension wands, and measuring cup. The only piece I've used and not liked so far has been the nylon brush tip. I feel they could have made this one a little more durable but over all I have been very pleased. The tank inside is large too, holding 4 cups of water it's able to work for at least a half hour before it "runs out of steam".

I would definitely recommend a steam cleaner to anyone who has the money. I'm sure there are better models out there but for about $75 this one is great for what I need it for.

Best $1 I Ever Spent

2012-09-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Since quitting my job and becoming a full time mommy/housewife I have taken it upon myself to tackle something I always told myself I had no time to worry about in the past.....Stains! Stains on the carpet, stains on our clothing, stains on the walls & linoleum floors...the list goes on and on. Don't get me wrong it's not like I just left spills and never cleaned anything up I did try a little just not very hard. If my stain didn't come up after the first treatment I usually just left it for another day. One that didn't seem to come until just this past year after I quit my job and I realized that I actually have time to focus on the little stuff instead of just getting the main daily tasks complete.

Anyone who works full time and has kids understands what I'm saying. When you work full time it's hard to have any time left after dinner and homework. What little time you do have left it seems is spent on the rest of the chores: dishes, laundry, taking out the trash & picking up after one another. Most days by the time I sat down all I could think about was sleep!

One day as I was walking through our local dollar store I came across something that caught my eye called LA'S TOTALLY AWESOME OXYGEN POWER - All purpose spot remover. It claimed to remove spots from carpet, upholstery, clothing & more! All I could think of is I was out of my OXY-CLEAN and I didn't have $8 bucks to go by some more. I thought it wouldn't hurt to try something new and for only $1 it was worth a trial run.

To be all honest I didn't expect it to meet my standards. I've tried many stain removers after all - many of them a complete waste of money- and I did buy it from the dollar store but to my surprise it totally blew me away! Not only is it great for getting stains out of the carpet and kids clothing but it also has done wonders for old counter top stains and the exterior of my old white refrigerator! It seems like I find a new use for this stuff every day and can't imagine my life without it now. Before I used to scrub and scrub but now I can just spray it and wipe away and my stains are GONE! I wish I would have discovered this before. I think it would have made my life a whole lot cleaner a long time ago.

Fan-Daids _ A Moms Crafty Solution

2012-09-27T06:13:00.001-07:00

Well if you live where it's hot and are in need of some cheap cooling you probably own one of these.....

A pretty inexpensive box fan. You can find one for about $15-$20 dollars and for most family's that's ok, just another item on the list if it goes out on you. For us it was a bit of an expense during a time that's not usually slow for my husbands construction business. It was a hot July day when I came inside to find our fan had fallen out of the window and was lying face down on the floor. Not only had it fallen but one of the blades had broken completely off!! I was so mad, not only had it been exceedingly hot but we had vowed to turn off the air conditioning after the last electric bill we received (I'm sure someone can relate) and this fan was suppose to be saving my sanity in our tri-level duplex. Of course it was cool and relaxing in our bedrooms that are located under ground level but the heat was killing us upstairs! I like to make a good home cooked meal every night too which would usually push us into the upper 80's if I wasn't careful (and that was with the fans going so we were in a real pickle). After about 3 days without our fan I was ready to tackle the problem: Fixing the fan blade so we would not have to spend unnecessary money on another fan! Luckily my wonderful husband already made the fan colorful with the kids..

...as you can see our fan has a rainbow on the inside. A little tradition passed down on his side of the family to color in the center of the fans with crayons. This helped when I decided to fix the fan because I figured all I could do was give it even more character!

First off I removed the covering to the fan and washed the whole inside especially the spots where I was intending to fix it (after I unplugged it of course). Then I assembled the supplies I would need: super glue gel, small narrow strips of news paper, and some Mod Podge. I started by adhering the broken blade back to the fan with the super glue gel the best I could and left it to dry. After it was dry I applied a generous amount of Mod Podge and then I applied the "Fan-Daids". Little strips of newspaper applied with the decoupage media cross wise across the break to give it added stability.

If you look close you can see where the crack is underneath the "Fan-Daids". I forgot to take before pics of course! but I think you can see everything pretty well.

After about 20 minutes to ensure a good solid dry we turned it on to see if it would work. For the record I think I was the only one confident in the repair, everyone got a few laughs while I was working on it. But today over a month later I'm the one who's laughing!! It's still going strong! Yeah sure I probably only saved about $15 bucks but hey $15 dollars is $15 dollars and our colorful family fan now has a little more character.

Step Out - Fight Against Diabetes!

2012-09-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again to be fund raising for Step Out -fight against diabetes-, this is our fifth year fund raising for the cause. Anyone who knows our family knows my little sister was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 5 years ago. After a bit of a struggle in the beginning, it is hard to get used to a total life change, she is now doing more than good...quite Great actually! No she's not cured but we are hopeful for a cure to be found. Now every year we help the organization by having a fundraising competition every year and at the end there is a walk we attend in Milwaukee or Madison where they tell the results of all the teams and how much we raised total.

This year we're holding a bowling night at our local bowling ally Cougar Lanes in Clinton, WI. It will be a fun filled night of a 50/50 raffles, scotch doubles, and a silent auction. We also have 2 giant stuffed animals that we will be selling tickets to win.

One is a Serta Sheep (#3) and the other is a long haired blue elephant. The tickets will be sold for $5 a piece and at the end of the night we will draw the winner!

Both are snugly and loveable. They would make great Christmas presents!

Bowl 3 games plus shoes is only $10 per person. Even if you don't want to bowl we encourage you to just come out and show your support.

Your donation will help fund research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; deliver services to hundreds of communities; provide objective and credible information; and give voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. I urge you to donate! Anything helps, the loose change in your pockets...even $1helps bring us closer to our goal. Our Team name this year is "Sarina's Squad". As a team this year we are trying to raise $500+. We know it's a big goal especially since most people we know are having a financially hard time but it would be so great to get there. If you can't make it to bowl and live around the area (Clinton, WI) you can stop by our local grocery store IGA and drop off any size donation in our donation can located on the counter by the bakery.

With obesity on the rise in the united states Type 2 diabetes becomes more prevalent every day. That doesn't even include people diagnosed with Type 1 which doesn't come from a poor diet but rather is genetically passed on through family's. Did you know that every 20 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes? That's 4,320 people in a 24-hour time period! By raising money for Step Out, we are providing much-needed funds for American Diabetes Association's research, information programs, and advocacy efforts that help people just like you.

An impressive 75 percent of every dollar spent supports research, advocacy, and services for people affected by diabetes. This is why it is so important for us to help raise money. We know it is going where it is suppose to go and if I can help someone like my little sis improve their life....I can't say no.

I hope you read this and feel the same...please donate...please help...

"American Diabetes Association Complete Guide to Diabetes" (Google Affiliate Ad)

Back In The Game!

2012-09-26T08:40:00.002-07:00

Hello Friends,

I have been gone from the blogging world for way to long! I'm proud to announce my comeback as I settle into my new position in life as a full time mommy with part time work and the possibility of going back to school. In an attempt to steer my life into a new direction a lot has happened since I was last blogging. I got married and quit my full time job of 6 yrs. to pursue a life long dream of working online and selling my own jewelry and crafts so I don't have to "punch" the proverbial clock for the rest of time. It has been a little tight around our house without my old income but sometimes in life you have to take a little risk and live a little rough to get what you want in the end. The end for me will consist of me working from here one day.....

....blogging from my laptop as I absorb all of God's goodness. How will I do this you might ask? Well a lot of hard work and determination is a start! I'm also looking to go back to school for marketing and small business. Education can take you a long way in life and once you have goals and a life plan in place who's to stop anyone from achieving what they want? I do think it also helps if you start early, the earlier the better actually. Sure anyone can be successful but it is a little more tricky to be really successful if you wait till later in life. I should have started a few years ago but honestly I didn't know what I really wanted to do when I graduated high school. Plus having kids first in life instead of going off to further my education slowed me down a bit. I wouldn't trade it though, my girls have changed my life in unimaginable ways. They have really helped shape my way of looking at life and helped me put everything in perspective as well as my faith.

I have always been a believer in God but the last few years of my life I have changed from being just a believer to leading an active christian life. Actually reading and studying the bible, being baptized, tithing, and going to God to help change things in my life that I could never do on my own. How has my life changed you might ask? Immensely!! is my answer. I no longer live with past guilt, bitterness or regret. I don't feel alone in this world anymore and the urge to possess vast quantity's of worldly possessions no longer linger in my thoughts. I'm the happiest I've ever been, EVER, and the only thing that nags in the back of my mind now is how I can ecru enough money, not for myself but to help the needy in the world that struggle every day for bits of food and clean water that we take for granted. Before I had put "imitations on my life and now I know that with God ANYTHING is possible -- “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Currently at age 26 I live in Wisconsin, I've never seen the ocean, and barely even traveled into the surrounding states. One day after my children have grown and gone off to college me and my wonderful husband will be traveling the world. Seeing everything I've always dreamed of without the location of my job holding me back. The sky is the limit and I can't wait to get my wings and FLY!

Offically Fallen Off.....

2010-09-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

After a great 2 1/2 week long stretch I regret to inform you that I have officially fallen off the exercise wagon....It was good while it lasted. Don't get me wrong, I have still been trying to eat well and all but we have been so busy with school starting and birthday madness that I haven't had time to exercise!! You would think with all the running around I do and playing with the kids I wouldn't need any extra exercise but that is definitely not the case. Sure I'm not excessively overweight but oh how it would be nice to lose the extra 30 lbs. I never lost after having both my wonderful girls. In time I'm sure I will find a way to get it off but I wish I had the discipline and self control to get it done sooner than later. It is harder than you think to be able to eat right with 2 young kids and a boyfriend who has a secret love affair with butter, chips, and my weakness deep fried foods. I try to buy things that are good for me, and the kids have no problem eating better. It seems that Brandyn is the one who makes it the hardest for me to eat right. Don't get me wrong he likes the veggilicious food I have been making lately but not always and he can't go without his snack food, of course, which makes it extra hard with it lying around the house. I am confident though that by next spring these extra pounds will be off. I have had good starts here and there loosing 5-10 lbs but then it comes back when our schedules make it to hard for me to hit the gym or get enough exercise at home. I mean really after working full time, coming home to play with kids, cooking dinner, cleaning up and finally tucking kids into bed who wants to spend the little bit of free time they have exercising....not me! I will find someway to do it though I just have to keep pushing myself and I know eventually I will make it to my goal.

The ZhuZhu pets are all the rage!

2010-09-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Mia loved her Zhu Zhu pets and all the accessories she got for her birthday. They now have an elaborate habitate that she loves to monitor complete with 3 rooms 2 tunnels a wheel and a slide. Although Drea tends to get a little irritated that every time she tries to play Mia tries to tell her "THEIR RESTING!!!" which inevitably turnes into a fight that they eventually work out. Me and Brandyn are trying to come up with a crafty solution for their storage. Currently we are thinking maybe a large tote but haven't decided on anything for sure yet. Until then they are residing comfortably behind our couch in the living room!

Breaking in the Slip N' Slide

2010-09-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

Mia and daddy broke in the Slip N' Slide the day after her birthday.....to bad both of the girls are still to scared to go down on their bellies! Oh well, they think it is super cool anyways and I think it's cool that it doesn't get nasty stagnant water collected in it like the pool we opted for last year.

The Big 04....

2010-09-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last week my little girl turned 4. This was big for her, she has been waiting and waiting since she knows that when she's 4 she will get to go to school just like big sis! Since her birthday was on a Wednesday we celebrated by going out to eat. I said she could pick wherever she wanted....If you guessed McDonalds you were right. She really wanted to go to play on their jungle gym. We ate & opened a few gifts from mom dad & sis. Then we had some cake...Mia's request...Strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and strawberries on top. We took it with but after all the food we ate Mia was the only one to eat a piece of the cake, everyone else at some later. When we got home one of Mia's grandmas and aunts stopped by and we opened MORE gifts. Needless to say it ended up being a very late night! Mia was quite pleased with her presents. She got new cloths, Zhu Zhu pet stuff, 2 new Zhu Zhu pets, a double Slip N' Slide, and some new dress up stuff. We had a larger party for her that weekend at the park across the street from our house. It included more cake, some light snacks and of course MORE gifts. That day she received some activity things (crafty stuff), more farm/regular animals for her Schleich collection, more Zhu Zhu accessories including the wheel and slide & 2 more hamsters, a baby cradle, cloths, a barbie with a knitted dress from grandma, a new book for her Tag Jr. reader, a hula hoop, and last but not least a butterfly garden where you buy caterpillars and grow them into butterflies you can release! All in all Mia thought her birthday was awesome! and she already has plans for her next birthday....CHUCK E. CHEESE!!!!

The First Day of School......

2010-09-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

The first day of school is always very exciting. I was not sad at all to watch my littlest finally be able to attend school like her big sis! She was so excited to be able to go this year even though 4K is only 1/2 days. Big sis is officially a 1st grader this year, I think I am more sad about her being in 1st grade than the little one just starting. I like to see them go off but 1st grade! It doesn't seem like that much time has passed since she was my little piggy! Such a smart girl and growing by the second. They both are so excited to learn, I sometimes envy the pureness I see in them. To be that age again! I would not want to start over but to be 4 or 6 just for 1 or 2 days.....I think it would be very enjoyable. Especially if it were in the same settings with old friends and classmates. Anyways back on topic...we had a pretty good day for the first day of school except I was running a little late due to the fact my camera once again came up missing. I found it with seconds to spare as we rushed out the door and to the school. Good thing everyone is late on the first day! Despite us getting there with only minutes to spare till 8am we were met by a long line of parents waiting to sign into the school to take their little ones to their classes on the first day. There were no tears by me or the kids which is always good and when they got home they both agreed that it was going to be a good year.

Veggie Pizza

2010-09-03T07:29:00.001-07:00

Veggie Pizza
Originally uploaded by Sunstarr04

The other night we made some awesome pizza! It was originally going to consist of Italian sausage, bacon, mushrooms, cheese, sauce, pepperonis and olives.....then I had a great idea....since most of the meat Brandyn wanted was super greasy and I have been trying to eat better I decided to make a different kind. Brandyn was really tired when he got home so he didn't protest as long as I was cooking and he was just helping he didn't care! First we prebaked one of those Pillsbury crusts you can get by the biscuits till it was golden and firm. While it was still warm I basted the crust with olive oil and sprinkled about 5 cloves of minced garlic on it. Then sliced tomatoes (red & yellow from grandma's garden), onions, fresh basil, and artichoke. Then it was lightly covered with pizza cheese blend and Mexican cheese blend I got at Wal-mart. Lastly I cut green scallions for the top with a light sprinkling of salt & drizzle of olive oil to bring the flavors together and put it in the oven till everything was warm and melty. Since there was no sauce the crust stayed crispy and the tomatoes were soooooo good on there we didn't even miss the sauce. Brandyn didn't even miss the no meat part! He just kept telling me it was delicious! We will definitely be making this again soon. The only downside is the kids don't like it, oh well you can't win em' all! Mia had noodles instead.

Finally The Pics Of My Bruschetta!

2010-08-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I found my camera, safe and sound, and put the pics from my delicious Bruschetta below!

Shark Week Project Finally Finished

2010-08-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

So I finally finished my shark week project. I sketched out a shark and made some products in my Zazzle store. Currently 2 T-Shirts displaying "Sharky The Shark". I have to admit he's pretty good looking. Stop in and check it out sometime. I am trying to find time to make more products in here. I was thinking about making a "Sharky The Shark" coffee mug....kinda how I feel in the mornings!...I would love one for work. Short on time today, I am trying to finish my girls bedroom makeover. They are very excited and have been helping me every day. There will be a post and some before & after pics when we are finished (If I can find my camera :)). Got to go, be back posting soon!

P.S. If you cannot see "Sharky The Shark" items check back soon they may still be uploading.

Update: Insanity Workout

2010-08-18T00:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, I thought I would post an update for this Insanity workout I have been doing. It is going good so far I haven't missed a day yet. I did change the 1 day you don't have to workout from Sunday to Saturday but that is just because our Saturdays tend to get a little busy! If I am counting right I only have 50 days left and I can already feel myself having an increased amount of stamina during the workouts. Yesterday I only had to take 2-3 extra breaks at the end of the workout but the people on the video did too so that made me feel better about it. It is definitely an insane workout, I have never sweated so much in my whole life!! I can't wait to see the results. If your interested in trying to trim down and tone up I urge you to check out the program. It's totally worth it and it's only 42 min or less a day.

Insanity: The Ultimate Cardio Workout and Fitness DVD Program

Delicious Bruschetta!

2010-08-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but make this a few days ago. I was inspired by a relative's blog post a few weeks ago and by a coworker who just brought in some fantastic bruschetta she made at home. It was so good!! Most of the recipes I looked at told me to parboil the tomatoes so I could peel the skins off...what busy mom has time for that!....I simply cored and peeled the tomatoes without cooking them first and they turned out GREAT! Then I seeded and diced them. Then I chopped/diced some basil & garlic. I sauteed the garlic with the olive oil and poured that over my tomato basil mix. I think I may have sauteed the garlic a little too long, it turned kinda crispy in the oil and most of its flavor was lost so I added almost a tablespoon of garlic powder and a pinch of garlic salt and it really set it off! While it was marinating on the counter I sliced some sourdough bread and sprayed both sides with cooking spray. With the oven at 350 degrees I toasted the bread. When the bread was done I topped it with the tomato mix and some slices of whole milk mozzarella cheese, I couldn't find any fresh at the store and this tastes just the same. Then I put them in my toaster oven and broiled them another 5 minutes. They were amazing! and the best part.....left overs!! I made 6 breads the first night and there is still enough left for at least 4 more...mmmmmm.....Thanks for stopping by! more posts to come!

2010-08-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

I have started a new workout program that has kept me pretty busy the last few days. It is called Insanity and it's by Beach Body. You may have heard of it....anyways it is a 60 day workout that is not necessarily for weight loss but you definitely lose inches and tone up. ( I am sure you lose weight but you gain muscle weight so you don't necessarily see the difference on the scale even though you look different when you're done.) 4 days down 56 days to go, at least you get Sundays off! Hopefully I can stick with it and get back into shape. I am not to overweight but I would like to rid myself of some fat and "define my curves" some! 2 kids and an unhealthy eating habit can really get in the way of a good body. Maybe I will get the courage to take some before pics since I just started and post my results on here when I finish the program.....maybe it will give me some motivation to stick with it. I have decided it is not just time for an eating or exercise change but a whole life transformation! Keep checking up with me to see my progress. If anyone else has tried this workout PLEASE let me know your results. Any comments are welcome, I am looking for all the encouragement I can get. It always seems like I start out strong but then let other things in life get in the way. I don't know why....you would think it would be a lot easier to make your body first priority but usually in our fast paced lives this seems like it's always on the back burner.

Gone To Long!

2010-08-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the break from posts. I have been a busy little bee lately trying to get things done and keep up with all my tasks. So I never did a craft last week although I kinda started a T-shirt design for my new Zazzle account. I was theming it for shark week, too bad I missed the timing on that one, oh well I will still have a cool shark shirt for sale even if it doesn't correspond with shark week exactly :). I will put some pics and a link up as soon as I finish the final touches.

Global Leadership Summit - August 5&6 2010

2010-08-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be attending the 2010 Global Leadership Summit. I am even more excited that my church, Central Christian in Beloit, WI, was selected for one of the satellite locations! This conference goes for two days 9am-5pm and talks about stepping up & stepping out to be a leader in your life, relationships, community, and church. I have watched some of the previous speakers and it seems like it will be very fulfilling. Below I have taken an excerpt from the website for a full explanation of the Global Leadership Summit.

It started in one city with 2,200 leaders from 300 churches in 1995.

In 2010, The Global Leadership Summit will reach 350 cities across 50 countries, challenging more than 120,000 leaders from 10,000+ churches!

Effective leaders are the agents of transformation. They call out what's wrong, set goals, launch initiatives, motivate, challenge, and move people to get on the solution side of solving our worst problems. Pastors, teachers, business leaders, law enforcement officials, politicians, musicians, athletes, and others are answering the call and choosing to lead where they are to make a lasting difference.

Far more than an annual training event, The Global Leadership Summit has become a galvanizing event in this worldwide leadership movement. Leaders representing an amazing diversity of race, cultures, ethnicities, languages, and denominations are coming together to give themselves to redeem and restore this broken world.

As God compels, I hope and pray that you will join us.

excerpt from: http://www.willowcreek.com/events/leadership/2010/hear.asp

Photo Courtesy of http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126268604080694&ref=ts

Why pay so much for baby food when you can make your own?

2010-08-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

Having a baby can be quite challenging to new parents, not just with the 3am feedings and diaper changes but also financially. Diapers, Dr. visits, clothing, specialty soaps & lotions, and a array of "equipment" (strollers, cradles, cribs, bottles, silverware, containers, bathtubs, bottle warmers, swings, bouncers, etc.) can all add up. Then when your baby hits the stage when they can start eating solids many family's are faced with the added cost of purchasing specialty jars of food.

What many people don't realize (probably because they are tired from all that parenthood dishes out) is that most of this food can be made right in your kitchen while your cooking for everyone else! Take for instance your baby has finally moved on to solids and your making baked chicken with pasta and peas for dinner. Simply steam the peas and before you butter them for the rest of your family take a scoop out and mash with a fork in a separate dish for the baby. If you need them really pureed you can use an inexpensive food processor and a little water. They come out the consistency of the jar food except fresher, healthier, and cheaper. You can even use this technique for when they move from fruits and vegetables to meat just remember that baby food does not need additives like butter or seasonings. Their sensitive pallet & digestive tract will find the food delicious in it's natural state even if you don't :).

5 Things That Will Keep Your Child Busy No Matter Where You Are

2010-08-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

1. A retractable sewing tape measure. Most any measuring device will do but a retractable sewing measure is the absolute best. They are like the kind you use for building but smaller and not made of metal :) . I found my kids LOVE these and will play with them for at least 20 min if not longer.


Photo Courtesy of About.com

2. A small note pad and pen. Who can resist drawing? If your kids are of school age you can use it to practice words by playing hangman.

3. A zip lock bag of assorted lego pieces (including at least 1 lego man). All kids like legos and having a small bag of them for when your waiting at the Dr. or for your table at a restaurant can be a real sanity saver.

4. A container of silly putty (as long as your kids are not to little). These little containers of putty are really fun to play with and only contain enough to keep in your hand.

5. A deck of cards. Even if your kids don't know how to play any real card games they enjoy playing with just the cards in general.

Long Car Rides + Young Kids = Cranky "How To Be Prepared"

2010-08-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in earlier posts I have 2 young kids (3 & 6) that love to go places but often hate the car ride. Now don't get me wrong short rides are no problem: going to the store, over to the gas station, & stopping by to see grandma and papa are always enjoyed. It's the other ones, the long ones, that they despise! Take for instance our 6 hour car ride every year to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The moment the word Vacation slips out of mommy or daddy's mouth they are ecstatic! When are we going? What can I bring? they could go on and on for hours.Then after weeks of preparations & packing the day finally arrives when we all pile in the car to leave and before we can even get out of the county it begins......."When will we get there?"........"How long does it take?"......and always..."I gotta go potty!". After many years of taking this trip I think we have succeeded in finding the best way to occupy young kids on long rides. You will still get the occasional "How close are we now?" question but for the most part you will have a very good ride.

1. First and foremost if you ever have the opportunity to drive in the evening TAKE IT! Often we will leave before the sun comes up or as it starts to set. This time of day is prime time for kids to sleep and the more they sleep the less they are bored.

2. Portable CD players or MP3 players, if you can afford them and your kids are big enough to use them. Our youngest was finally able to use one this year and it was a real treat for her. We found head phones that were comfortable on their ears and when they were not sleeping they mostly listened to music and looked out the window at the scenery.

3. A clipboard with paper, pencil, and colored pencils. Notice how color crayons didn't make the list here. It is up to you but we found in the past that crayon can not only rub off on seats easily but also melt in the sun. Fair warning for all long trip takers! :)

4. A hand full of easy to read story books or picture books. Although you may want to make sure your child is not easily affected my motion sickness.

5. Lastly, hand held video games or a portable dvd player. These we haven't utilized yet. The girls are still a bit young for hand held games and we have been trying to instill upon them that TV is not always the answer to boredom.

So there is our sanity saving list to all those in need. I hope it will be of use to many! What ever you do don't leave unprepared.

Possibly Sharks in the Future!

2010-08-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of the Discovery Channel

I need to figure out my craft for the week today and as I was perusing through the channels last night looking for something to watch when I discovered SHARK WEEK! I was so busy I totally forgot. After quite a bit of thought I decided whatever my craft is for the week it needs to somehow involve sharks. I haven't quite decided what I wanted to do but hopefully soon!!

The Finished Product

2010-07-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

I was able to finish my weekly craft last night but I also had to help my best friend move a few boxes to her new apartment so I am just finally getting the pics up this morning.

These where the materials I started with: teal thread, 1 small piece of scrap material, 1 large piece of material, a sewing needle, some scissors, a recycled card board tube and some batting.

Here is the finished product:

I also have pics of the first one I made a while back:

.....And here is the both of them together:

This was a really fun project this week and I can't wait to decide what to do next!

A Crafters Promise

2010-07-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so one of the things I love to do is craft. Some people may wonder what type of crafts I enjoy, I would have to say ALL OF THEM! Currently I sew (simple purses, Halloween costumes, crazy quilt items,etc.), make recycled (acid free) paper, create hemp accessories (Necklaces, belts and bracelets), assemble cute magnets from glass flower weights and magazine clippings, scrapbook, paint, draw and decoupage. I am also working on finding some wax melting pots, like the ones we used in high school, so I can get into batiking. Alas in the craziness of everyday life, working full time and having 2 children, my crafts often find themselves on the back burner waiting for the day that I am not totally exhausted to come so they can get done. Well no more! I have officially decided (as of yesterday) that if I continue waiting till I am not tired to make them they will never get done. Lets be serious what mother of 2 small young children has spare time laying around? NONE!, and if you can manage a small tidbit of free time your almost always tired. So now I am officially making time for my crafts and plan to post pictures here. Ideally I would like to make 1 craft a week and place it in my "collection box". When my collection box is full I plan to make an Etsy account and sell all of my cool items. This will hopefully help me stay motivated and keep on track. I started a craft last night to kick off my "weekly project" and hope to have it finished in a day or two for you to see. My latest project is making sewing holder /pin cushion combo cup out of fabric (mostly scraps and remnants), a heavy duty cardboard tube (recycled from my workplace), some batting, left over sewing accessories (such as buttons), and some thread. They really are cutie and not only do they come in handy for scissors, seam rippers and pencils but also pins, needles,any anything else pointy that may need a cushion :). A few of my friends raved about them so hopefully everyone else will like them too!

The Bathtime Helper That Saved Our Sanity!

2010-07-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows how sensitive kids can be, especially when it comes to rinsing out soapy hair in the bath tub. Our bath times use to be a battle when it came time to wash hair. Everything we tried was not good enough and ultimately led to tears. Then one day when I was in the store I came across something called a Kids Shampoo Rinse Cup. I immediately ran to check it out, anything that might help me from loosing all my hair during bath time was well worth checking out to me!, and it was PERFECT! I paid about $8 for it 2 years ago and it has been worth every penny. It was a little tricky at first convincing my youngest to let me try it on her but after watching me test it out on big sis she was ready to give it a try. The soft rubber front is what really makes it great, it allows you to hug their forehead so there is no drips into their sensitive eyes. I don't know what I would do without this. We never have trouble in the bath anymore and since using this cup we have adapted a new bath time routine: First wash hair & body then they can play as long as they like. It has really worked wonders for us. THANK YOU RINSE CUP!