FrederickMommies

Are you a Mom? Are you a Member?

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

Are you a Mom? A Mom-to-Be? Are you looking to find new Mom-friends to hang out with? Friends for your children to hang out with? If you answered YES, then I want to know if you are a member of FrederickMommies? If you have answered YES, than WOO-HOO! I am thrilled that you have found our community of Moms around town. Now, let me ask you this… are you participating in any of our activities we have going on? If you answered YES, FABULOUS!

Wait… did you say NO to not being a member of FrederickMommies? Are you not sure if its a good fit for you and your little one(s)? I know you have friends, family, support systems, careers, etc and that you don't have time for FM. Well, what is having one more set of friends for you and your little one going to hurt?

Frederick Mommies has much to give, we have support for almost all phases of Motherhood - from conception to birth, from infants to going off to school for the first time and then… the teenage years. Wherever you are at in your Mommy-journey, you will find a home here at Frederick Mommies. We have playdates, Mom-Night-In, Moms-Night-Out, Family-dates, we give back to the community and much more.

Come on inside, check out all of the forums, talk with us and make sure you check the calendar for all the latest scoop on events.

Betty
Co-Coordinator Little Squirts Playgroup
Hospitality Manager

Betty's Bio!

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hello! 

My name is Betty; I am a SAHM to a very energetic 19mo son and a fun-loving wife to an amazing guy for 13 years. We have been living in Middletown since 2005. We fell in love with Frederick County quickly and have enjoyed getting acquainted in the area.

In my personal life, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, cooking/trying new recipes, finding new places to explore and blending family traditions with modern flare. I enjoy uncovering the history behind an object, a place, a car etc., then incorporating it into my life in some way.

I joined the Frederick Mommies soon after the birth of my son in May of 2010, thanks to my husband who found FM thru his “Daddy-Resources”. By joining FM, I found invaluable support thru the first months of Mommy-hood. Part of my goal of joining FM was to find friends not just for myself but for my son as well. In September 2010, I decided to join the FM team in a small but fulfilling way as Little Squirts Coordinator. It was a slow start, then I found a Co-Coordinator who gave us a place to play and momentum for others to join in the fun! In December 2010, I decided to an ambitious leap of faith, taking on the role of Hospitality Manager. This is a position I look forward to helping Moms new to FM make connections and find their niche in our group.

As for my contributions to the FM Blog, I will give you a sneak-peak into our Little Squirts playdates and upcoming Hospitality events throughout FM. I hope that by giving you a look into the FM family, you will be inspired to join us at upcoming events! Also, be sure to check the calendar, we are continually adding events for everyone to join us at.

I look forward to meeting you soon!

Thanks for reading!

Do You Have Flower Power?

noreply@blogger.com (The Mommies Network) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Are you looking for some curb appeal? Do you need to beautify your backyard? Spring planting season may be a few months away, but there's no better time than now to grow with FrederickMommies! We've partnered with Flower Power to bring you a fabulous fundraiser to help you plan the garden of your dreams.

Flower Power sells quality flower bulbs with a 100 percent money-back guarantee. Gorgeous geraniums, tantalizing tiger lilies, and beautiful begonias are just a few of the many bulbs available and ready to be shipped to your door. This fundraiser runs Jan. 22–March 20, 2012, and your bulbs will arrive in April and May, just in time for beautiful summer blooms.

So save some gas and the trip to your local nursery or big-box store, and plan your perfect garden from the comfort of your computer. Visit http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/i/t/240198/6647lWwjMNth to view the enormous array of flower bulbs, and spring into Flower Power and FrederickMommies' fabulous fundraiser!

Special bonus: Spend $40 or more to receive a free bag of 10 Twilight gladiolus, a $10 value.

Grow with us!

Profits made through our fundraising link go toward our chapter's operating expenses.

Reminder: Ring in the New Year With TMN!

noreply@blogger.com (The Mommies Network) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

The New Year's parties may have ended, but our sponsorship promotion hasn't! We're still ringing in the New Year at The Mommies Network with an incredible deal that will have you reaching for your noisemakers.

Moms may have the greatest buying power, sharing business experiences and trends with one another. And since women make more than 80 percent of all purchasing decisions and control two thirds of the nation’s disposable income, targeting this group benefits your company. Resolve to reach this influenial portion of the population by taking advantage of this limited-time promotion.

With all new/renewed sponsorship agreements, your business will receive a complimentary blog feature (advertorial to include logo/product image and 500 words). Prepaid agreements receive a 5 percent discount and a complimentary two months on one sponsorship listing. Sponsors also receive 20 percent off event sponsorships. Offer expires Jan. 31, 2012.

The end of the month is just around the corner, so what are you waiting for? Celebrate with TMN by taking advantage of this amazing deal.

For more details on how your business can ring in the New Year with moms across the nation, please contact Jessica Van Dyke at Jessica.VanDyke@TheMommiesNetwork.org.

WW - Of Warmer Times - by Jax

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

TMN Weigh-In Challenge News

noreply@blogger.com (The Mommies Network) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hello, and Happy New Year to everyone!

My name is Karen Skidmore, and I am the owner of Completely Fit, a personal training and fitness company located in Mount Airy, Md. I am a team leader for one of the groups in The Mommies Network Weigh-In Challenge.

All my team members have started off strong and are working very hard to accomplish their goals. They were asked to fill out a detailed questionnaire about their current nutritional and fitness habits, and answer questions about what changes they wanted to create. Based on that information, I have helped each person come up with a detailed action plan that will not only help to accomplish her goals, but more importantly, help to improve her lifestyle.

If you are looking to make a change in your life but are not a part of the Weigh-In Challenge, you too can do it with just a few small changes at a time.

If your nutrition is off track, start by taking away one unhealthy food once a week and replacing it with a healthy food.

If your exercise routine is off track, start by finding something you really enjoy doing — walking, biking, or swimming — and adding 10 minutes of that exercise to your day. Before you know it, exercise will have become a daily routine.

Be sure to track your results, as we do much better when we can see our progress.

I am very excited to be a part of this group and team, and I look forward to reporting our successes back to you each month. — Karen Skidmore, Completely Fit

Mommy the Scientist

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Kid's Science - Icy Days!

Colors:

1) Take an ice cube tray and make ice cubes with food coloring in them, make up as many as you want to play with, but at least 2 red, 2 blue, and 2 yellow.

2) Using zipped baggies, add one red and one blue to one baggie; one red and one yellow to another; one blue and one yellow to the last. Zip tightly.

3) Watch as the ice melts you'll see the colors make purple, orange, and green. What happens if you add 2 yellows and 1 red? 1 blue and 2 reds?

Melting Ice:

1) Take an small paper cup or other container and put an inch or so of water inside. Add food coloring and mix. (Note, the food coloring may stain the container.) Put in the freezer until it becomes an ice cube.

2) Fill a glass or other larger container with warm tap water. Add your colored ice cube. Watch as the ice melts and the food coloring swirls in the cold/warm currents of water.

Compare Salt and Sugar:

1) Take three equal cups/containers. Fill each with 1 cup of water.

2) In one cup, add 1/2 tsp of sugar. In another cup, add 1/2 tsp of salt. In the last, don't add anything.

3) Note the time. Put all three in the freezer and check every 5 minutes to see if each has frozen. Note the time when they have frozen.

The water should freeze first, followed by the sugar water, and then the salt water. If your children are older, you can do multiple experiments by adding extra tsp of salt and sugar into more cups, and you'll see that the more you add, the longer it takes to freeze.

Making Ice:

1) Take a container and fill it halfway with water.

2) Take a marker and mark on the container where the water started.

3) Put it in the freezer and allow the water to completely freeze. Do not leave it in more than overnight or you'll dehydrate the ice cube.

4) Take out the container and show your child the original line compared to the new line.

WW - Monocacy Aqueduct - by Jax

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Mommy the Scientist

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hi, I'd like to reintroduce myself to those of you who don't know me. I'm a scientist as well as a mommy! I have my Ph.D. in chemistry, and I've done research for the last 12 years. So, I thought what better than to offer a blog that deals with science! I don't plan on presenting my opinion, as I feel that it is each parent's choice to use the given facts and make good decisions based on them. But I'd imagine that more often than not, my posts will err on the side of science and medicine. These are hot topics, no doubt, so please feel free to take offense and debate the topic with yourself, your family, your friends, and your doctor. That's how we learn! And so, on to my first topic:

Colds, Ointments, and Smells.

One thing a scientist uses a lot is their nose. You might not think about it, but our noses tell us a lot about our environment. As a scientist, I am surrounded by many smells each day, some pretty potent and quite stinky. But, for example, have you ever turned on a gas stove without lighting the flame? Natural gas is actually odorless, but I'm sure you know that stinky smell of gas. That rotten smell of sulfur is created by butyl mercaptan and is added to the gas before it gets to your home as a safety precaution. Your nose will know that there is a leak before you accidentally light a flame.

Scientists use their noses in the same manner. If you are working with something that is dangerous in a fume hood and suddenly you start smelling something, you know there may have been a spill or a leak or the fume hood has failed. Many organic chemicals are unpleasant to smell, as you may know from times you have painted your walls or worked on a car.

With cold and flu season upon us, I thought I would share one of my favorite smell categories: spearmint, eucalyptus, menthol, and camphor. Check out my list, you should recognize some names!

J.R. Watkins Menthol-Camphor Ointment - 5.3% camphor, 2.8% menthol.
J.R. Watkins Menthol-Camphor Vapor Rub - 5% camphor, 2.8% menthol.
J.R. Watkins Menthol-Camphor Relief Mist - Menthol, camphor, eucalyptus, thymol.
Mentholatum Ointment - 9% camphor, 1.3% menthol.
Mentholatum for Kids - 4.7% camphor, 1.2% eucalyptus, 2.6% menthol.
Mentholatum Natural Chest Rub - 2.7% menthol.
Vicks VapoRub - 5.2% camphor, 1.2% eucalyptus, 2.8% menthol.
Vicks BabyRub - Aloe extract, eucalyptus oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil.
Tiger Balm Red - 11% camphor, 7% cajuput oil, 10% menthol, 5% clove bud oil, 6% mint oil, 5% cassia oil.
Tiger Balm White - 11% camphor, 13% cajuput oil, 8% menthol, 1.5% clove bud oil, 16% mint oil.
Bath and Body Works "Stress Relief" - Australian eucalyptus oil, American spearmint.

Now, you might be thinking that wow, that's a lot of information to take in, and a lot of odd names you may or may not have seen before. I can say that I own almost every product on this list, as well as several that have been since discontinued, because I love these smells and I find them relieving for both stress and colds and muscle aches. Here I'll explain the chemicals involved:

Camphor

Menthol

Eucalyptus

Cajuput

Clove bud

Rosemary

Lavendar

Spearmint

You can see that from natural sources, we can get relief for our colds and stress by just inhaling these vapors. These are all good ingredients to have on hand for any time of the year and are great for use on adults and children over the age of 2. Any medicine, natural or not, should be prescribed by a doctor for babies and toddlers.

I hope you enjoyed my science and, did you know that peppermint, whether as tea, hard candy, or essential oil, can cure a headache or stomach ache? Well, now you do!

Jax is a Blog Mom for FrederickMommies. She is a first-time mommy to a beautiful baby boy and her and her husband are semi-new to this area and always looking for places to go, people to see, and ways to save some green (both money and the environment)! Please contact us for information on how you can become a FrederickMommies blogger.

Baby Gifts to Make

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Knowing that I would have to make some baby gifts soon, I started pinning some ideas for gifts to make, and I finally took the time to make them over Labor Day Weekend (though I’m not done, I have a few more to make)
Stenciled Onesie - This is a freezer stenciled onesie with a hula skirt….now this idea itself was not pinned, but I made a spin off of a tutu onesie, and combined it with a hula tutorial I had pinned. This is the result – my hula onesie! (This is not my first time doing freezer paper stencils) The shirt on the right is the shaka sign (it’s Hawaiian for ‘hang loose’) and was also made from a freezer paper stencil. Both stencils were cut on my cricut machine using Life’s a Beach cartridge. Stenciled onesie pinned HERE from this website, The hula skirt pinned HERE from this website, and the original idea of a tutu onesie was pinned HERE from this website.

Lightweight Baby Blankets - I pinned these from Martha Stewart. The flannel was purchased from the remnant bin many months ago, just waiting for someone to have a baby girl! I bought the solid cotton fabric specific for the project. Pinned HERE from this website

Baby Crinkle Square - This fabric was from the remnant bin too, and the ribbons were scraps from my scrapbooking supplies. Pinned HERE from this website.

Baby Burp Cloths - The fabric on these diapers was also from the remnant bin, the diapers were from my cloth diaper stash…I had way to many and put a bunch aside to use for projects like these!
Pinned HERE from this website

Originally posted at www.chestnutgroveacademy.blogspot.com

Dying Rice

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

When I taught preschool we would dye rice and pasta all the time with liquid watercolors, I LOVED that stuff. But it never occurred to me that you could dye them with food coloring as well! My kids have been deprived and playing with plain old boring pasta and rice…until NOW!

and this is JUST the beginning!

I had this activity pinned HERE, from this website

I will say though that I found it did not need as much coloring or alcohol as what the recipe on the site calls for. As I was starting I realized I did not have 2T of food coloring, so I decided to half the recipe and only use 2 c of rice. But after adding a little less than 1T of color and about 2T of alcohol, I added 1c more of rice, and than another. And it was plenty colored! The second batch, I didn’t measure the food coloring, I just added it until it was the color I wanted. We used the neon food coloring!

So My recipe is:

4c rice
food coloring (eyeball it)
2T Rubbing Alcohol

It dried really quick, in about an hour – I just spread it out on wax paper on the countertop!

WARNING: This does stain your skin before it dries…even though I washed my hands numerous times, it finally came off when I washed my hair in the shower.

I have plans to do some more rice and some pasta too!

Originally posted at www.chestnutgroveacademy.blogspot.com

Wordless Wednesday! by Rania

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Merry Christmas to all of the FrederickMommies!

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Merry Christmas!!!

Hope Santa brought you and your family something special, whether it be snow, time together, or presents!

You Better Watch Out! Tonight, Santa Comes!

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Sing with me now!

You better watch out,
You better not cry,
Better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He's making a list,
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out
Who's naughty and nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town.

He sees you when you're sleeping.
He knows when you're awake.
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!
Oh, you better watch out!
You better not cry.
Better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Santa Claus is coming to town!

Track Santa at http://www.noradsanta.org/ They also have an app for your mobile phone!

Family Traditions for Christmas Eve and Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Do you have any specific family traditions for the Christmas holiday? Is it something that has been passed down from generation to generation? Have these family traditions changed since having kids of your own? For me, our family tradition has been the same since my husband and I were married. Christmas Eve was spent at home eating a meal that has been his family tradition long before he arrived and Christmas dinner has been spent with close family-friends.

When we found out we were finally going to be parents, I began imagining how our holidays would be with a little one running around. Last year was his first Christmas; he was only 7 months old so he wasn’t really a participant of any traditions, but he was there and that is all that mattered. This year, he is an active 19-month-old boy who never sits still. Thankfully, he eats just about anything you put in front of him (or on someone else's plate); therefore food will not be an issue.

While I was imagining our Christmas traditions with the addition of a little one, I knew I couldn’t wait to see him opening his Christmas gifts and playing with new toys. I am eager to see which toys will hold his attention and which toys he will explore how things work as he does with everything he lays his hands on….

On that note, I ask again, what are your family traditions during the holiday season?

Merry Christmas!

Fabulous Holiday Menu!

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I go a little outside the "traditional" every holiday for my family dinners. I guess i have just never been fond of the standard menu. I always love to put a little twist on everything. Not that there is anything wrong with the standard fare, but if you are looking to add a little fun to your holiday dinner, i have managed to put together my non-tradition, traditional Winter Solstice Santa Fest menu! Recipes below & Happy Holidays!

Appetizer:

- Fresh Mozzerella and Tomato with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Main Course:

- Teriyaki Standing Rib Beef Roast

- Roasted Garlic & Vegetables w/ carrots, turnips, parsnips, shallots, Sage, Rosemary and Bay Leaf

- Roasted Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus

- Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

- Grand Marnier Sweet Potatoes w/ marshmallows

Dessert:

- Chocolate Fondue w/ strawberries, rasberries and bananas

- Creme Filled Pirouettes - vanilla and chocolate

- Candy Cane Sticks in Lemon Halves

- Kona Blend Coffee w/ Baileys

Wine:

- Cambria 2008 Pinot Noir - Caifornia

- Louis Jadot 2009 Beaujolais Villages - France

{Fresh Mozzarella & Tomato with Balsamic Vinaigrette}

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

-Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves.
-Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly {Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine}
Taste and adjust the seasonings.

{Teriyaki Standing Rib Beef Roast & Roasted Vegetables}

Ingredients:

Standing Rib Beef Roast

Soy Vay's Veri Veri Teriyaki

2 whole heads of Garlic

6-8 Carrots {halved}

3 Turnips {quartered}

6-8 Parsnips {halved}

4-6 Whole Shallots

Sprig of Rosemary & Thyme

1 Bay Leaf

Coarse Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

RIB ROAST Directions:

For a perfect Standing Rib Roast recipe, this is an absolutely perfect way to cook it - from Simply Recipes.com. I personally marinate it in the most amazing teriyaki sauce in the world - Soy Vay's Veri Veri Teriyaki. So if you are inclined to do the same, and i highly suggest you do, just follow Simply Recipe's directions in addition to the teriyaki.

ROASTED VEGETABLES Directions:

{Cook time: 45 mins to an hour}

-Heat oven to 400 degrees
- Cut carrots and parsnips in halves
-Cut turnips into quarters
- Peel outer layers of garlic, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch off the top of the cloves.
- Cut very top portion of shallot, leaving shell intact.
-Combine vegetables into baking pan or casserole dish
-Add sprigs of herbs
- Drizzle olive oil all over vegetables, coating well
- Sprinkle rock salt, freshly ground pepper
- Stir once or twice while roasting

Serve together on large serving tray.

{Roasted Prosciutto & Asparagus}

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh asparagus {trimmed}

1/2 pound proscuitto {sliced}

1 tablespoon olive oil

dash of rock salt

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 450 degrees
- Wrap slices around 2-3 asparagus spears
-Drizzle olive oil on tips and ends of asparagus
- Sprinkle salt
- Roast in oven 15-20 minutes or until tender

{Wasabi Mashed Potatoes}

Ingredients:

6-8 Red Potatoes {quartered}

4-6 Tablespoons of butter

1-2 Tablespoons of Wasabi Paste

1/3 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

-Rinse Potatoes, cut into quarters

-Boil potatoes in large stock pot until tender

- Drain and return to pot

- Add butter, salt & sour cream

- Mash with hand mixer, leaving lumpy

- Add Wasabi to taste, stir

{Grand Marnier Sweet Potatoes w/ Marshmallows}

Ingredients:

5-6 Yams {peeled and quartered}

4-6 tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

30-35 large marshmallows

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees

- Rinse yams, peel and cut

- Boil in large stock pot until tender

- Drain and return to pot

- Add butter, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, vanilla & Grand Marnier

- Stir or mash. Add sugar or salt to taste if needed

- Transfer to oven safe casserole dish

- Top with marshmallows & sprinkle with cinnamon

- Bake 15 minutes or until marshmallows are brown

{Chocolate Fondue w/ Strawberries, Raspberries, Bananas}

This is really, quite an easy dessert and quite a beautiful table setting. Granted, you will need a fondue pot and fondue chocolate {which are both widely available at any major grocery store}. I did this for my family last year and they have now requested it to be an annual tradition. It was heavenly!

Ingredients:

Fondue Pot

Chocolate Fondue

Skewers

Fresh strawberries

Fresh raspberries

Fresh Bananas

Dessert Pastries such as Cream-filled Pirouettes

Whipped Cream {optional}

Directions:

Warm fondue in fondue pot {following fondue pot directions}

Place fruit pieces on skewers, dip and devour!

Serve with your favorite coffee and don't forget to add a little Baileys!

The kids might need assistance, but this is a winner for any child!

{Candy Canes in Lemon Halves}

And last but not least, this is one of my favorite childhood memories. All you need are candy canes and lemons. Cut lemons in half, stick candy cane in center and enjoy instant minty lemony happiness.

Pumpkin Spice Playdough!

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0000

One of the things in our workboxes this week is Pumpkin Spice Playdough! It smells soooo good, it seriously had me craving pumpkin something while I was making it!

The pictures shows about 1/3 of the recipe, so it makes a pretty fair amount

2 3/4c flour
1c salt
4t cream of tarter
6T oil
2T pumpkin pie spice (or a tad more)
2c water
red and yellow food coloring (if desired)

Mix all the ingredients in a sauce pan on Medium Heat, and keep stirring until it forms a smooth ball of dough that is not too sticky/goopy. Remove from heat, and mix in food coloring. (I was really low on yellow, so mine is not that orange, but you can make it as orange as you’d like).

This makes for a great sensorial experience and well as fine motor!
It seriously smells soooo good!

Be sure to store in an air tight container or ziploc bag!

I had it in the workbox with Halloween shaped cookie cutters and the letter P for pumpkin! But I have a variety of activities planned for this dough!

Counting Coconuts had another great yummy smelling fall playdough activity HERE, Check it out!

Originally posted at www.chestnutgroveacademy.blogspot.com

Apple Pie Play Dough

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Apple Pie Play Dough!

Ingredients
•4 cups of flour
•1 cup of salt
•4 cups of water
•4 tablespoons of oil
•½ cup cream of tartar
•1 container (1 ½ oz.) apple pie spice
•Red food coloring (optional)

How to Make Apple Pie Play Dough
1.The students measure the ingredients and place them all into a large sauce pan.
2.The teacher places the pan on stove and cooks and stirs the ingredients over medium-low heat.
3.The apple pie play dough is ready when the dough is fully formed and no longer sticky.
4.The teacher removes the pan from the heat and allows it to cool before either using it or storing it in an airtight container.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

So I have tried my hand and laundry detergent, both powder and liquid…so why not dishwasher detergent. I already had the Washing Soda and Borax on hand from making the laundry detergent, and I had bought the Epsom Salt for a science project, so all I needed was the Lemi-Shine.

I researched several recipes online and came up with my own concoction. I tried it out and it worked great!

Tips: stir it up several times after making, the citric acid solidifies the mixture. You can add more Lemi-shine for harder water, one recipe I saw had 2c of lemi-shine, but that would require a larger than 12oz bottle. Divide the 1T between the prewash and wash bins (about a 30/70 divide). Put the vinegar in the rinse compartment.

(vinegar as a rinse aid) I placed it in this honey bear, b/c I have a huge costco size container of it, and also use vinegar in my cloth diaper wash as a softener.

I love that I was also able to recycle a variety of containers when making these things!

The cost of this detergent is about $4 and will last a VERY LONG time at just 1T per load!

For my inspiration for this recipe, and many other DIY cleaning products check out my Pinterest board!

Originally posted at www.chestnutgroveacademy.blogspot.com

Wordless Wednesday!

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:21:00 +0000

Ask a Nanny - Boundaries between Provider and Parent

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Dear Ask a Nanny,

What sort of boundaries should be kept between provider and parent? In other words, what happens if you become friends with your provider? How do you remain professional, especially when it comes to payment, late fees, child preference? Can you have a friend provide full-time daycare?

Sincerely,
Mrs. Friendly

Dear Mrs. Friendly,

This is a touchy subject for sure. It is inevitable that you are going to become friendly with anyone who you trust with taking care of your child since you are essentially sharing the most amazing moments of your child’s life. The question is how you maintain a personal and professional relationship. I would say do not become friends on Facebook for sure, if your children are around the same age it is perfectly acceptable to have playdates or even mommy time to vent your current frustrations but remember that personal relationships (you and your hubby, your in laws or mutual friends) should probably stay off limits.

First thing you have to remember is that watching your child is this persons job and they deserve (just as you would expect from your employer) to be paid in full on time. I personally worked for my last family for over 7 years and was basically a part of the family and the only two things I didn’t like about it were that I had to remind her every other Friday to pay me (after 7 years you would think it was pretty automatic right?) and that I could count on one hand how many times she came home on time to relieve me leading me to miss out on my own personal activities after work. As a childcare provider we cannot simply clock out and leave your kid all alone so I think if I could give parents one tip it would be to ALWAYS be on time to pick your children up, a few minutes late because of traffic is acceptable but if it happens every day it should tell you that you need to leave work earlier or we need to renegotiate the schedule. As far as late fees go I am assuming she had a fee for when you were late and you should pay every penny of it because it is her policy and when you decided to send your child there you agreed to pay it. I know people who charge by the minute (some as much as $5/min.), some by every fifteen or thirty. I personally rounded up, so if my boss came in at 6:45pm instead of 6:30pm I charged her till 7 but if she came in at 7 I only charged her until 7 not 7:30.

Now I do not feel that it is right for a child care provider to play favorites and this is very hard if the providers own child is also involved. I am not going to lie I definitely related more to one of my former charges, mostly because I raised her from the age of 1.5 and she was like my mini me, but I absolutely love both of them equally. I think that if the provider can find one thing about your child that they just plain relate to or adore it is very important to their relationship growing and your child feeling loved and protected. With my oldest it was our love of books and music while with the younger one it was our love of live theater and dance. I also introduced both of them to horseback riding so we all shared that as well. I think that this is something that takes time and while I don’t know how old your child is but it took until my youngest charge really developed a personality of her own before I really knew what bond we shared and from there we were literally inseparable. They even came over last weekend just to spend the night with me because we had not seen each other in a week or so.

Now I have an interesting take on this also because my most recent “boss” (after I had Stone and left my 2 girls) was my sister-in-law (my husband’s brother’s wife) which meant we were not only friends first but we were also family. This made it very hard for me to tell her things that she was not doing right because we were so close where as with my other boss I had no problem telling her what was wrong and how to fix it. I think that in reality your child care provider can be your friend but it is your responsibility ultimately to keep it professional during work hours and friendly during play time. I hope this helps!

Nanny L.

Liquid Laundry Detergent

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I gave the powdered laundry detergent a try, and I did really like it, but the liquid goes so much further…so when I ran out of the powdered I made, I decided to try my hand at the liquid version.
I am using the Duggar’s recipe, as posted on their blog
4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar (I used 1.5 Ivory bars to equal the oz of a Fels-Naptha bar)
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
Directions:
-Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
I purchased all my materials at Long’s Drugstore, with the exception of the 5 gal bucket which I got at Wal-Mart for ~$3.

I added about 30 drops of Lavender essential oil. After it set and cooled over night here is what it looked like:

I then spooned it through a funnel into a Costco size Vinegar container (really any type of container would work…old laundry det bottle, rinsed out juice bottle, etc…). I filled it half way with the detergent and then the rest of the way with water. I just wrote on the bottle with black marker, nothing fancy or even pretty really. I keep it by the washer with a 1/4c measuring cup, (I also use a 1/4c of white vinegar as a softener for my cloth diapers).

Anyhow, so far so good……for the same cost as the powdered detergent, you get 600 more loads worth of detergent. A gal on a mom’s board I’m part of said she made the batch in January and is just now running out…so about 10mos worth of detergent for pennies really!
The cost break down for here in Hawaii:
Box of Borax $5
Box of Washing Sods ~$3
3 bars of Ivory soap $1.50
The Borax and Washing Soda is enough to make SEVERAL BATCHES (I used the same box for two powdered batches, and this liquid batch and still have plenty left to try my hand at some dishwasher soap!) The 3 bars of ivory are enough for 2 batches! So it adds up to pennies really!

Originally posted at www.chestnutgroveacademy.blogspot.com

POTATO SOUP RECIPE

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

This is my husband's ultimate cold weather comfort soup. It has 1,000,000 calories or something, but whatever. It is full of awesome. Just enjoy denial for the few days of its consumption. Then go to the gym and repeat.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Package Bacon

2-3 tablespoons of bacon drippings

1 Medium Sweet or Yellow Onion, chopped

1 tablespoon Garlic or 4 garlic cloves, minced

4-6 Russet Potatoes, chopped

48 oz box of Chicken Stock

1/2 Pint Heavy Cream

1/2 stick of Unsalted Butter

8 oz Grated Cheddar Cheese

Green Onion, chopped

Salt & Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

-Fry the whole entire package of bacon. Set aside on plate with paper towel to absorb grease.

- In large stock pot, add 2-3 tablespoons of bacon drippings and cook onion over medium/high heat until translucent.

- Add garlic and cook for another few minutes.

- Add potatoes, stir occasionally for a few minutes.

- Once everything is sizzling, add 32 ounces of the chicken stock, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender

- Using large spoon or spatula, hand mash the potatoes leaving some chunkiness for texture

- Add heavy cream and butter, stir and simmer for another 10 minutes

- Add extra chicken stock if too thick

- Add salt and pepper to taste

- Serve in bowl and top with bits of bacon, grated cheddar cheese & green onion.

-Enjoy.

Pumpkin Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (FrederickMommies) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I’m sure if your on pinterest you have seen the pumpkin muffins (made with one can of pumpkin and one box of cake mix) pinned all over the place! I’ve been making that exact recipe with spice cake mix for over a year now, I got the recipe from a friend in a mommy’s group back in MD…and they are so good!

Well it got me thinking, what about pumpkin brownies?? So today, I experimented, and I was quite pleased with the results! Maybe it’s been done before, but I googled pumpkin brownies, and though many recipes came up, none that I found were as simple as what I had in mind, so I gave it a try!

Ingredients:
One 15oz can of pumpkin
One box of brownies (or one bag from a Costco pack)
cream cheese icing (if desired)

Mix the brownie mix with the can of pumpkin, and back according to brownie directions (325degrees for 45-50min in a greased 8x8 pan)

Cool and ice with frosting if desired

(I went to get my camera and came back to find C decorating with chocolate syrup)

We served the with some vanilla ice cream, choc syrup and whip cream…..but they were really good plain (with our without icing).

The texture is quite different from regular brownies, they are very moist, and pretty rich. But very yummy!

To make the pumpkin muffins all you need is one box of cake mix (I prefer Spice Cake, but I have read that Carrot Cake is good too), One can of pumpkin, Mix together and put in lined cupcake tin (or unlined, your preference, just make sure you spray the pan!), Bake according to the cupcake directions! These are soo good too! (These can be served with or without cream cheese icing as well!) Here is the link to the pin for this recipe.

Originally posted at www.chestnutgroveacademy.blogspot.com

Ring in the New Year with TMN!

noreply@blogger.com (The Mommies Network) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:40:00 +0000

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