Quicksand and Sandboxes

A busy year!

2013-03-27T22:04:00.000-05:00

I have not updated much due to many circumstances. We moved into a larger home in a nicer town with far better schools for the kids. We have been without a computer for quite some time and blogging on a smartphone is exercise my thumbs prefer not to do. I lost my dear grandpa that was more of a father and I miss him dearly. I continued home daycare for a small period of time and then closed it up to teach Kindergarten enrichment for a short period of time before moving to my current position as a pre k teacher for a non profit daycare.

I am excited about my current teaching job as it focuses on the child's entire family. Tuition is based on income, a clothing and food pantry are on site, and social services are available as needed. It is a great way for me to teach and also make a difference.

Brad finished his 8th grade year playing basketball and did a great job. He is now a freshman and is gearing up for his first baseball double header.

Chloe just completed cheerleading and did a great dance routine at state competition. They were awesome! I can't wait to see how well she does next year!

Johnny had perfect attendance last year which he was very proud of. This year he has started playing drum as he finishes his last year of elementary school. He is super creative and designed his new dresser. He picked out the fabric for the drawers, paint color, army stickers, and drawer pulls. The picture doesn't show all the pulls installed but you get the idea. It turned out wonderfully.

Couponing 101

2013-02-24T21:32:00.000-06:00

Due to many asking how I save money on groceries and have grown my stockpile, I thought Id write a blog entry instead of sending individual emails out. My savings were not seen as much the first year as I was still stocking up. By the second year, I had started to see drastic savings because I was not needing to shop for as many items. I will go into detail but do not get disheartened if at first you don't see a difference.

Buy a Sunday paper. I usually buy 1 paper a week or 2 if there are really good deals. Check out www.sundaycouponpreview.com and it will show you what coupons to expect. Be aware some Sundays there are no coupon inserts. I also will grab coupon inserts out of recycling bin when I am dropping off my recycling but only if reachable. I do not dive in. There are coupons available to print online as well. I personally stopped using them because they use a lot of printer ink.
Organize your coupons. I use little accordion coupon files that are found at dollar stores or in office supply area of Walmart. I have 2. One for food and one for cleaners, toiletries, dog food, etc. You can opt to use a binder with baseball card holders if you wish. I find it impractical. I like to take my coupons with me to store in case there is a clearance on an item that was not advertised. I don't want to carry a book but I don't mind tossing the coupon "wallets" into my purse. Remember if you don't feel comfortable carrying it around you probably wont use it. Im not embarrassed to use coupons but I don't want to look like a freak walking around with a binder. If you want to be a freak that is your choice. Lol!
Retail store and drug store ads come out on Sunday and grocery store ads come out on Wednesday. All ads can be found online so do not feel like you need to buy a paper. I find it easier to have the paper just because it is tangible but I switch back and forth depending on how accessible the paper is to me at the time. My mail will sometimes bring ads a few days late.
Before I look thru the ads. I cut out any new coupons. Then I go thru my organizer and toss any expired weekly. When deciding which coupons to cut, I suggest overlooking the brand. I don't care which brand cereal or cookies I buy. I care about price. Also you will see as you go that some things you would never buy you can get incredibly cheap or free. I pick these items up and donate to local food pantry. Also if I have a lot of an item and we don't seem to be moving thru it very quickly I will donate some of that item as well. When you give, you will receive.
As you look thru ads, see if there are any sale items that match coupons you currently have. That is usually your best price. I suggest in your first year keeping a price book. Write down what item you bought and how much you paid got it after coupon, that way you can compare prices down the road and know if it is a good deal or not. If Campbells tomato soup is on sale for 59c a can and you have a coupon for 40c off 4 cans, you will be paying 49c a can at register. Some grocery stores double coupons, so that same deal of soup at 59c a can with a coupon that went from 40c off 4 cans to 80c off 4 cans, is now 39c a can. If you have multiple coupons stock up. Soup lasts a long time on a shelf and can be used in lots of recipes. Some stores and coupons have limits so be aware of that and just go back in store multiple times if need be or have kids and hubby buy items.
As I search thru ads, I use an envelope as a shopping list. I write down which items I am getting, I write the store price and circle it, and next to that I write my final price after coupon. I use an envelope per store. I circle the price so I can make sure it is accurate when I am picking up an item and if I end up at Walmart I can pricematch the item if I don't have time to go to multiple stores. Walmart will not double coupons so make sure you go to those grocery stores. By using the envelope method, all your coupons a re ready to go at the register. You can bring your other coupons with you just in case a deal pops up but you wont be spending hours in the store hunting down your original deals.
Some deals are just awesome! If Sunny D is 99c each. I will buy 10 without a coupon because it is a great stock up price. When shredded cheese is $1.49 a pack I will buy 10 and throw them in the freezer. If there is something on sale that you use at a good price. Buy lots of it. You don't have to have a coupon. Most of my deals are without coupons. I try and buy as much as possible.
The secret to a stockpile is to buy as much of an item as you can afford when it is at a great price. If you have 10 bottles of ketchup from a summer sale of 49c a bottle, then you don't need to pay $2 for a bottle in December when it is not on sale. If you buy a ton of school supplies in August when everything is pennies, then come January you are not paying full price for crayons when your child needs more, or full price for Kleenex when you get sick. This helps you save money later.
A year later, you will see that your grocery bill is severely slashed. You will be buying perishables, odd ball items you are out of, and stocking up on sales. It is so much nicer to know you stocked up on a years worth of laundry detergent at 99c a bottle and not need to pay $6 a month on it later.
Lastly find out what is free. I have lots of toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, popcorn, and hand soap that was free. These items go on sale at $1 ea many times throughout the year and there are many 50c off coupons for these items that will double making them free. I get as many as I have coupons for and whatever I can not use I send to local food pantry. Different stores will have different $1 items so watch for them.

If you have any questions feel free to comment and I will try and cover them. If there is anything you want to know in further detail let me know.

Summer Lunchbug

2012-10-10T08:19:00.001-05:00

This summer I partnered up with Shelly McKaig and helped feed lunch to hungry kids in Baldwin City. I mostly helped with obtaining funding and helped serve when I was available. This started out as a project of Ives Chapel Methodist Church but due to their skewed perception on world views it became a continuation of the lunchbug program. See link for more details.

Lunchbug article

Craft Room

2011-03-23T15:43:00.000-05:00

I recently converted our junk room into a craft room. I needed a space to sew and scrapbook. I started by painting the old paneling a light green color. I reused some old kitchen cabinets by using as base of my new counter space. I took a sheet of plywood and cut down the middle. I stacked them on top of each other with some old boards as buffers. The space between is great for storing things. I painted all the wood pink. I purchased some outdoor fabric on sale and turned into drapes and valance. I then accessorized the space. The other end of the room is open for the kids to use.

80's Girl Night

2011-03-23T15:18:00.001-05:00

I recently went with Chloe to her mother/daughter girls nite at her school. They had a spot to do your hair and nails. There was dancing and singing. It was a fun night to dress up to.

The World's Most Intriguing Questions

2011-02-26T12:49:00.000-06:00

    The world is full of mysteries and unknowns. Humans have always been searching for answers to the world's most vast puzzles. Please help me decipher the mysteries below. If you have any clues or thoughts towards the answers please help out humanity and comment below.

1) How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

     The closest I have come to an answer is as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood. Also Geico has video of this phenomenon.
Geico woodchuck video

2) Mystery meat

    Where does mystery meat come from? Why is it fed to school children? Is it the same meat used at Taco Bell?

Click for fun video

3) Why are snuggies so popular?

    It's a robe worn backwards. Everyone has one. My kids have multiples. Why are these a staple in American homes? Even worse...( sorry for the pause. I was chilly and needed to get my snuggie.)... why do they sell them for pets?

snuggie parody

Please help me in my quest for answers.

10 Things To Do When The Power Goes Off

2011-02-26T06:01:00.000-06:00

Grab some crayons and coloring books. Coloring with the family is fun and relaxing.
Shadow puppets. Make up a story and go with the moment.
Cook on the fire pit. Hotdogs and smores are always yummy!
Clean out the fridge and let the freezer thaw. Not fun but necessary.
If the sun is out, craft. Work on scrapbooks or woodworking projects with simple tools.
Chit Chat. The best conversations are those without distractions.
Escape. Go for a long drive, weather permitting.
Exercise.
Play cards or board games.
Snuggle with your lover.

Jobs Worth Considering

2011-02-25T07:00:00.005-06:00

Looking for a job? What jobs are the best? Which will I enjoy? I was thinking about this and came up with a few interesting career choices.

Maid: What better job than cleaning other people's houses? Yes, cleaning is tedious. I hate it and definitely don't want to clean up after other people's filth. However, I do love to snoop. Curiosity is a wonderful motivator. Who wouldn't want to have the option of rifling through other people's items in the guise of cleaning? What wonderful and scary things you may learn about different people. It's intriguing and would keep my interest.

Window Washer: Same premise as maid but different angle. I like the whole outside looking in thing. Lots of rooms are covered and the work is easier but a tad more dangerous. OK, really dangerous, but who says hanging from bungee cords and harnesses is a part of their job. Very thrilling.

Collections: I'm a bit sadistic. Calling people and harassing them about bills they have no money for is pointless. Listening to their rage could be entertaining. It's a dirty job but someone's got to do it.

Airport Security Screener: The best way to drive people crazy. Make them take off their shoes, throw away their shampoo, ask them ridiculous questions. Fun!

Valet: The best way to decide on what car to purchase next, try them all. Better yet, get paid to try them all.

So what other crazy jobs could be made fun? Leave a comment and let me know.

Outer Space Bedroom

2011-02-24T16:56:00.001-06:00

    My son is currently into all things space. He loves star wars. He wanted a room to reflect his love for space. We started out by painting the walls a gray color that he chose. His furniture is black metal. The best feature is his space wall.

    I painted the upper half of his wall a glossy black in the shape of a windshield. He chose some pictures from a book of stars, planets, and galaxies that he liked. I made color copies and cut them out. I then decoupaged them to the wall. We used glow in the dark paint to make some stars. I simply used a fat marker and dipped the end in the paint and dotted the space area and his ceiling. It looks really fun in the dark.

    We bought a remote operated moon nightlight that hangs in space. He can change the phase of the moon by remote and it has a sleep function for night. It's educational and fun.

   He later added Star Wars wall clings, which makes it a bit cartoony but being his room, it's his choice.

   Lastly, what astronaut doesn't have a control panel? I had 2 steering wheels meant for outdoor play equipment. We attached them to a simple wood frame to make a dashboard. My son then painted and added buttons. We found a speedometer sign in a decor shop that works as a perfect accent piece. The seat is from a footstool destined for the dump. I bought new foam and covered it in spacey material and it is a soft place for him to sit.

Click Here to see Star Wars Villains Visit

Brad Wins Essay Contest

2011-02-04T09:58:00.001-06:00

    Brad entered the "If I Were Mayor, I Would..." essay contest and competed against other seventh graders. He won 1st place and was asked to read his essay to the Ottawa City Commissioners and Mayor. He received $80 cash as a prize.

Click Here for Brad's essay followed by runners up

Click Here for Commission Meeting Video: Brad speaks about 5 minutes in

                                              If I Were Mayor
                                                  Brad Harris

    If I were mayor, I would do things to improve the city of Ottawa. I would make it appealing to the over 12,000 people who live here.

    The first thing I would look into as mayor is modifying stoplights so they can react to the opticons on ambulances. Not all stoplights in town have sensors to react to these invisible waves of light, but it is vital. Opticons are little lights that send invisible patterns to a stoplight sensor and turns the light green so emergency vehicles can respond to an emergency quicker. This could end up saving lives.

    The next thing I would cut the red ribbon on is getting an Arby's to move to Ottawa. An Arby's could boost economy with job openings and help the town's tourism. As a student at Ottawa Middle School I have noticed that kids my age would really appreciate an Arby's. I'm sure adults would too. In order to perform this operation we will most likely need to talk to the head of the Arby's-Wendy's corporation. We will tell them about our popular location on I-35. Many customers would go there because it is easily accessible from the highway.

    The last thing Ottawa needs is a shelter for the homeless. It can be paid for by tax money and could help financially challenged families to get back on track. I have learned over 60 families in Ottawa don't have a place to call home. This will end, with me as mayor.

Sledding Adventure

2011-02-01T11:25:00.000-06:00

We recently went sledding for the first time. We joined up with our aunt, cousins, and a few friends. We didnt have any sledding gear so we invented some things. Our fave was sledding down on old pool plastic. We can't wait to go out again after the newest snowstorm.

Chloe sledding on her daddy Scott

Scott wiping out on snowboard

Chloe sledding on pool

Johnny on snowboard

Johnny wiping out on snowboard

Johnny eating snow

Chloe on pool

Chloe zipping along

My turn on the pool

Chloe

Johnny on wooden sled

Johnny zipping by baby Hayden watching from her bin.

Brad and I on the pool

Too much fun.

Cole on snowboard

Johnny on wooden sled

Taylor and Ellie on wooden sled.

Cole on a plastic chair

Cole again

Chloe catching a ride with Johnny

Brad on wooden sled

Brad again

Brad, Chloe, and Johnny

Johnny Visits the Villains of Star Wars

2011-02-01T10:46:00.000-06:00

The Ottawa Library recently hosted the Villains of Star Wars. Johnny was super excited as he loves that stuff and he got to have his picture taken with them. He later ran home to put on his Darth Vader costume and went back for a few more pictures.

Johnny in costume with Darth Vader

Johnny with Imperial Guard

Johnny with Clone Trooper

Johnny with Boba Fett

Scott being arrested by Boba Fett

Johnny with Storm Trooper

Johnny with Darth Vader

Johnny discussing weapons with Boba Fett

Johnny with Boba Fett

Miss America Party

2011-01-22T07:00:00.004-06:00

My birthday happened to fall on the same day as the Miss America pageant. So my daughter and I planned a Miss USA party. She made me this lovely center piece as pictured above with her dolls wearing sashes. Mario Lopez as host of course. She also set up a nice manicure tray for everyone to do their nails.

My friends and their daughters showed up along with one of her friends and we had a great time. Watching Miss Arkansas and her crazy yodeling ventriloquist act was my favorite highlight of the evening. It was the stupidest talent I had ever seen and she wins second place. Of course the winner was a bald Miss Nebraska. The girl wears a wig and still wins as beauty queen? I find that odd.

Jennifer and I

Chloe and Justine

Brian and Brad, Johnny in the back

Justine and Kyleigh

Lesa and the girls

Yodeling Ventriloquist Miss Arkansas

Our Real Life Horror Story

2011-01-21T18:57:00.000-06:00

    I was headed home from work, when I got a call from my 11 year old son. He says that there is a bird in the house and it was scaring him, so he went to neighbors house. I told him I'd be home in ten minutes. I pulled into driveway shortly after and went next door to pick up my son. I thanked the neighbor for letting him in and told him to put on his shoes so we could go home. He then tells me he didn't wear any shoes over and he is barefoot. I looked at him like he was crazy. There is a foot of snow on the ground. I walked back to my van and pulled out my snow boots for him to slip on.

    We walk up to the front porch together. I go to open the door and can't because it is chained from the inside. I turn to Brad and ask him how he got to neighbors house. He says the bird was flying by front door so he ran out the backdoor, climbed the fence, and ran to neighbors house barefoot in a foot of snow. Now I'm wondering what kind of bird got in the house to scare an 11 year old boy so badly, we have a pet cockatiel so this isn't anything new to him.

    I ask him to go around the house and unchain the door since he is wearing the snow boots. I wait and wait and wait. What is taking him sooo long? He finally comes back around the house. What now? He says he opened the back door and the bird was flapping around so he shut the door and came back. I asked if he at least let the bird out? No.

    So now I go around the house. I open the backdoor and there is nothing there. I unchain the front door and let my son in the house. We begin to look for the bird. After searching the house, there is no sign of a bird. I am beginning to think my child needs medication. He swears up and down there was a bird and is starting to lose it.

    I tell him we will pretend to be cops. We will go through each room and closet together. If we don't see the bird we will yell clear. He nods his head and we begin. Room after room, closet after closet, we yell clear. There is nothing to be found. We get to the last room I say clear and begin to shut the door. Then, I stop. I ask my son, "why does your sister have dog crap on the top of her curtain"? He says that's not dog crap its the bird. I look closer. It's not a bird. It's a bat. We slam the door and run down the stairs.

    I call Scott and tell him to come home now and get this thing out. He arrives about 5 minutes later with a bucket and a fishing net. The bat has moved so it takes him awhile to find it. Then he comes down with it. You can hear it hissing in the bucket. He lets it loose outside, its wingspan is about a foot. No wonder it was scaring my son. He just didn't know what a bat was.

    We are glad it is gone. It has been a year and we still don't know how it got in the house and have never had a repeat performance. Looking back it's funny, at the time creepy.

What a difference a day makes!

2011-01-12T07:00:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was a snow day, no school. The kids were super excited! They bundled up and headed out. They would play for an hour at a time and only come in to warm up after I made them. They began to build an igloo. It was hard work and digging the doorway was exhausting. The solution...the dog. We have a Belgium/German shepherd mix. The kids took him out and showed him where to help dig out the doorway. The dog had great fun being needed and getting to play along.

Later the kids built two forts and stockpiled their snowballs. The ensuing battle was intense. Not because wars are harsh. Not because one side was overpowered. But because the ammo wasn't hitting its intended targets. Why? The dog was intercepting the flying snowballs and eating them. Frustrating for the kids playing, hilarious to the mother watching from inside. Overall, the kids had a great day outside.

Fast forward one day later, the wind chill is below zero. I decide to go out and shovel out driveway. The kids beg to go out and play. I tell them it is too cold but they don't believe me. I let them go out with me. After about 10 mins I am done with driveway and my fingers are burning. I head back inside with the kids on my heels. No forcing them to come in and warm up today. They are disappointed and are looking forward to a warmer day to go back out and play.

Shotgun

Missing Socks...Solution!

2011-01-11T07:00:00.001-06:00

I hate that I always seem to have missing socks. Where do they go? I usually throw the singles into a basket in hopes of finding them a mate, only to watch the basket grow and never truly sort through it. It's disheartening and I truly do not want to spend money on more socks.

The solution? I am a very visual person. I like to see things a a glance. I have photographic memory but if things are in piles it doesn't do me much good. I found a curtain cafe rod that I wasn't using and mounted to wall above washer and dryer. I slid on some curtain clips, about 24. Now as socks come out of the dryer, the singles are clipped to the rod. I can see at a glance whether I have a match for a sock or not. It has worked very well.

Repurposing an Ironing Board

2011-01-10T10:20:00.000-06:00

    As you can probably tell from this blog, I love repurposing things. It lets me be creative and thrifty at the same time. My laundry room had become overwhelmed with odds and ends. It was clutter I needed but wasn't sure where to put it. My solution was a homemade peg board.

    I buy wrinkle free clothes and never iron. My ironing board was taking up space and collecting dust. So I took some screws and hung it on the wall. I went to store and invested in some "S" hooks, baskets, and hangers that were designed for peg boards.

    I now have a place to hang scissors, tape, dog grooming supplies, ties, etc. As it is metal, magnets would also work on this. I love that it adds some whimsy and charm to the laundry room. A regular wooden peg board could not pull that off. It's very convenient and useful.

Mountains out of Mole Hills

2011-01-05T07:00:00.001-06:00

A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm. ~Bill Vaughan

   Their is no better joy, than watching a child explore and discover new things. A hill becomes a mountain that must be hiked, conquered, and summitted; only to roll or sled back to the bottom repeatedly. Trash becomes a craft project. An old tree or bush, becomes a secret clubhouse. The wonders of this world are endless.

    Kisses heal all boo-boos and a case of the giggles brings pure happiness. Disappointments are short lived and pain never lasts long. The excitement of a child is contagious and definitely worth catching. The purity and innocence of a child is a wonderful gift. Watch a baby realize for the first time they have a hand, or if they throw something it falls and makes a noise. Toddlers have pure joy when they learn to toss a ball. Remember when you learned to ride a bike, the pure thrill?

    Take some time each day to find your inner child and bask in the warm feelings. Look at something mundane with the eyes of a child and recapture the wonder and awe. Roll down a hill or jump in a puddle.

A House with "Character"

2011-01-04T13:07:00.000-06:00

    We bought an old house, about 100 years old. It has "character". The outside looks great. The inside is livable but needs upgrading. It has the usual character you hear about from home shows, original wood floors and woodwork, large windows, wooden porch, and huge yard.

    Our home has original wood floors, but they need sanded and refinished. Some boards are bowed from the house shifting and require lots of love and money...future project. The home has 24 large windows. Yes they are beautiful but not energy efficient. They all need replaced. To get decent windows at $300 each...$7200 grand total...future project. The wooden porch is getting older and will need rebuilt in a few years. We would like to turn it into a wrap around to connect front porch with side porch. Both porches have roof overhangs and the rebuild will be costly...future project. Currently all the walls are plaster. I would like to eventually switch to drywall...future project. In the meantime, the walls are all painted cheery colors, paint is a cheap alternative. The kitchen needs new counter tops and refinishing. The cheap alternative is counter top paint and painting cabinets. The existing cabinets are strong and are staying. Recently our basement flooded from back up in mainline, so did neighbors, so dealing with clearing out pipes and dealing with mess. The list could go on.

    The real "character" comes from the inside. Not the inside of the home, but the person working on the home. If you can continually work on an old home, with limited funds and lots of creativity, and come out sane, then it speaks volumes about your "character". To see the hidden beauty and charm and be able to bring it out, to be patient and continue on, and to stay calm in the chaos are character traits of a true remodeler.

    These same traits serve well in all aspects of life. Mothers, spouses, friends, etc, need these traits to work well and accomplish greatness. Sometimes you wake up to a flooded basement, a sick child, or a family tragedy. Can you make it to the other side intact? Perhaps your child broke a dish while making you breakfast. Can you see the beauty in the thought behind the task or just see the brokenness? Do you have the time and strength to stick to the big things? Sometimes things in your home or life are broken beyond repair and need to be replaced. The work will be hard but if you stick through the hard parts you will have something new and beautiful and a fresh start.

Working Towards Financial Peace

2010-12-31T13:33:00.001-06:00

This upcoming year, my husband and I have decided to get down and dirty and work on knocking out our debt to become debt free. We have worked out a plan and if we have no major speed bumps, fingers crossed, we will be nearly debt free at the end of 2011. Our small debts and van payments will be finished in June and the car will be done in December of this year. Then we can start 2012 finishing off our 2 small school loans. Then we are going to kill the mortgage. The goal is to be completely debt free in about 7 years. It will be hard but well worth it. The vehicles are new enough that they will only need repaired from time to time. The hope is to build up a savings account so that in the far future we can buy cars with cash. Then when we get paid we will only need to pay for utilities.

The peace of mind that should follow will be well worth any sacrifice now. I'm tired of worrying about grocery money, gas money, paying bills on time, etc. This year almost all Christmas gifts given to friends and family were homemade and received great reviews. That saved us from going under farther. I only purchased things for my kids for Santa to give. The result was a very relaxed holiday. I highly recommend it.

I am a huge fan of freecycle. It's a great way to give your unwanted things to those who may need them in the community, and also receive items you, yourself might need. This is all done online and is completely free. No money changes hands. Goodwill is a great place for discounted things you may need, but not necessarily new. I like to buy plastic baby toys at 25 cents each and let my dogs have as chew toys. This is a great deal when you consider the price at a pet store is $5 - $10 per toy. The dog will destroy it either way.

The kids are 8, 10, and 12 and have found making recycled crafts to be great fun. They loved making a cardboard city, see previous blog for more info and pics on that. They like to take old hats and clothes that are stained or torn and redecorate them and turn into fun dress up clothes.

So the overall goal is to be creative, put extra towards the bills, and look to the future!

freecycle website

Cardboard city

Life's Stories as told by snowmen

2010-12-24T07:00:00.003-06:00

You thought your neighbors were bad? Are you turned off by public displays of affection? Then this should definitely disturb you! Sometimes we don't like what we see because it's inappropriate other times it reminds us of what we wish we had. Does something upset you because you are jealous or is it actually serious?

The predictable thing about kids is that they are unpredictable. Remember to keep your cool because mistakes and accidents will happen.

Always be prepared for the worst. Children don't think ahead so you will need to do it for them. And please don't eat the yellow snow!

Know when to fight and when to give up. Is it really worth dying over? You can replace a lot of things but you can't replace yourself. You only get one body, take care of it and use it wisely. If you put crap in, you will look and feel like crap. If you cherish and care for yourself it will show.

Recycled Cabinet

2010-12-23T10:22:00.000-06:00

I have been recycling and reusing things a lot lately. We recently took out an upper cabinet from our kitchen to open the space. I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I have been tripping on it for quite some time. At the same time I have been trying to rearrange and organize things around the house. Then I found the perfect marriage. I have a cubby from Target that has been used to store shoes in my room but I hate seeing the shoes, so I focused on that.

The cabinet I took down is 3 ft long and 1 ft deep. I measured the cubby and got the same measurements. Yay! A winner! I decided to stack them. It works out wonderfully. I can now keep the shoes hidden behind doors in the cabinet, and use the cubbies for storage and display. Some of the squares are open in the back so I taped a piece of scrapbook paper that looks like tile to the back. Later I will paint or stain all to match.

Snow Day Activities

2010-12-22T16:54:00.001-06:00

The following is a list of fun things you can do with your kids on a snow day.

Give them a spray bottle with water and a few drops of food coloring. They can spray paint the snow. Just remind them not to do walkways as they will get icy. Koolaid can be substituted for dye.
Do you have potato head pieces? They can make snowmen and push in the potato head body parts. Great fun!
Build a fort or an igloo, show kids how to pack snow into pails and they can make snow castles.
Play florist or farmer. Give the kids plastic or silk flowers and let them "plant" them in the snow. Can also use fruit and veggies from their play food. Give them some empty baskets to harvest the fields with.
Snow angels are a classic.
For older kids, let them build a fort and throw snowballs or take their Nerf guns out and play war games. Better outside than inside. Added bonus Nerf bullets wont get lost behind furniture and the bright orange color is sure to show up in the snow.
Treasure hunt: kids can make map to find buried treasure. They can count their paces in the snow easily by looking at their footprints.
Guess the object. Bring out a sack of items with distinct shapes. Have kids cover their eyes. Press an object in snow and then place back in bag. Can kids guess what the object was based on impression in snow?
Polar Bears and Penguins: let kids run around and slide around like these great snow animals. Remind them that polar bears walk on all fours and that penguins waddle and slide on their bellies.
Free play with plastic animals and dolls is also fun for kids. Getting to play in the snow is a novelty. Anything they may enjoy doing in sand, they can also try in snow.

Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow, And we, we were children once again. ~Bill Morgan, Jr.

Stuff to put stuff in

2010-12-22T07:00:00.003-06:00

Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space. ~Evan Esar

    How much stuff is enough stuff? How many dishes are normal? How much clothes do we need? When does a lot become a hoard? Is it possible to have too little?

    My grandmother is a hoarder and so is my mother. I grew up in a house that I slowly watched get more and more filled with stuff. As another child would move out with their belongings, their now vacant room would refill just as quickly with miscellaneous junk. I find that I too have the tendency to want to hoard but being aware of it has made all the difference. I recently closed down my family daycare business of 10 years. There was a lot of toys and furniture involved. I went through and sold or donated most of it and only kept what my own children play with.

    My house became a lot emptier, it was nice. I fell in love with the empty spaces. I had never seen empty spaces before. We didn't have them growing up. As far as toys go, I do believe in a good, healthy amount being available for kids to play with. I would rather trip over the toys they are playing with than have kids glued to monitors all day. Clothes have always been simple for me. I only keep what fits and what I wear. My oldest sons clothes are put in space bags and kept for my youngest. Once my youngest son and daughter grow out of their clothes they are donated.

    I only keep what I can realistically use. Is my house empty? Not even close but it isn't jam packed either. We have bonus rooms that we use for extras. The kids have a music room for their drum set, keyboard, and guitar. We have a very large dining room that doubles as a space for video games. I can see my floor and I can see my walls so I think I'm doing OK.

   The compulsion to try and find a reason to keep things is no longer something I struggle with. It was a burden and kept me from doing the things I wanted to do. It is freeing to throw things out. Do you need to go shopping for stuff to stuff your stuff in?

Gifts are the true meaning of Christmas!

2010-12-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

I believe giving of yourself and time is what the heart of the holiday is about. Helping those in need, being with those who have nobody, teaching others through love, and rejoicing in the holy spirit are great ways to celebrate.

My extended family doesn't see it this way. I get grief for not going out of my way to hunt them down so they can throw gifts at us and shove us out the door and consider themselves done with Christmas. I would rather forgo the gifts in exchange for them to spend time with my kids, their grandkids. They do not see my kids except for holidays and birthdays despite the fact that they live within easy driving distance. They decline attending school events, dinner engagements, and weekend visits because they do not wish to spend their time with family. They consider the gifts as a payment to opt out of such events.

My children do understand the meaning of Christmas and have started looking down on other family members. My kids are tired of watching people choose things over time with them. They have developed many coping mechanisms to deal with this rejection and it is very sad to see it has come to this over the years. The heart of a child is pure and they see people clearly for who they are. I am proud of my children for standing tall and sticking with the principles they believe in.

Gifts of love are the true meaning of Christmas, not gifts from a store. If Santa doesn't come, Christmas still does. Being with those you love in comfort and a stress free environment is the true pleasure of Christmas.

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ~Roy L. Smith