We slept on the king for 5 years and hauled it to Tiny Town and our Tiny bedroom 7 years ago.  Several bruises later, from bumping around the bed and furniture in our close quarters, it just wasn’t worth it, so the king got demoted to the “hole in the ground” basement and we brought up a full-size iron bed Lance inherited from his gram, mattress and all.  Good thing we have a big bed!  Or not.

Well, that’s all about to change.  A month ago we were invited to a Serta store to pick out a brand spankin’ new bed.  So exciting!  Our little one had fun getting to know the sleep Sheep, and we, for the first time ever, tested out new mattresses.  Nice ones.  Serta custom makes each order, so we walked out of the store anticipating a call in about 10 days that our mattress would be delivered.

I think I frightened the poor guy who called me on Tuesday, May 7, wanting to deliver our bed on the 8th. “Noooooooooo!”  I told him we were leaving in the wee hours of the ninth and no way was I prepared for a new mattress right now.  (Think he saw through the drama and knew that my house was a wreck?)  Long story short; we are now anticipating the delivery of our mattress tomorrow, and my bedroom is presentable for the first time in months.  Yipee!

If you’re in the market for a new mattress, I can’t say enough good things about Serta.  (Of course, I may be biased because as we were leaving the store, I put 2 and 2 together and realized the owner ~ who was incredibly helpful and patient with us as we debated the merits of queen and king ~ was likely the brother to one of my 6th grade students from my very first year of teaching.  Crazy small world!)  You’ll hear more from me about them in the coming months, including which mattress set we picked and why, but today I want to alert you to their big Memorial Day Weekend sales event.

 iComfort/iSeries Triple Bonus

• Save up to $400 on the Motion Perfect Adjustable Base
• Receive a FREE 2-in-iComfort Mattress Protector  (Shoot!  I forgot to buy a mattress protector for our new bed!)
• Receive 2 FREE iComfort Scrunch Pillows

 Perfect Sleeper Hot Buy

•  $299 Queen Perfect Sleeper

Sale runs May 16-June 2

Add 5 kids, some clutter, and a few dust bunnies, and this about sums it up.    (If you’re reading via email, you may need to click through to see the video.)

So tell me.  Are you sleeping well on your mattress?  Is it new?  Does an old mattress gross you out?  What size is your bed?  Have any questions you want me to ask the Serta people?

Disclosure:  As a Serta blog ambassador, I am compensated for sharing information and deals about the Serta brand.  All opinions, and saggy old mattresses, are my own.  (But the saggy old mattress?  They’ll take that away for you when they deliver your new one!)

Does getting a new mattress make me an adult? is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

In the weeks before the conference, my mind was frantically preparing but the day-to-day was not playing along!  I had these grand dreams of spring cleaning, filling the freezer with meals for the crazy days before and after the conference, updating my own wardrobe for the first time in years (yoga pants would not work for Disney…), packing (secretly) days in advance, surprising the kids, and leaving the house spotless at 4am on Thursday, May 9.

Yeah, right.

So the kids came home on Wednesday after school none the wiser.  I suppose that’s one advantage to being perpetually behind?!  We surprised them with the news and got busy packing 7 people for a 5 day trip!  We put them to bed that night in their travel clothes to save a step in the wee hours.

At midnight, I looked at Lance and laughed.  “Game on!” and soon after, we loaded what luggage we could into the vehicle and went to bed for a couple hours.  Never mind the 2yo who got up at 1:30.  Oy!  Alarm went off at 3:00am and I said a prayer that 2 hours sleep would somehow feel like 10.  Either that, or that adrenaline would do its thing.  For 5 days. 

We got the kids up, made breakfast sandwiches with English muffins from the freezer, and hit the road with all 5 kids (we counted to make sure) at 4am.  Excitement was building and everyone stayed awake on the hour drive to the airport.

I’ve only flown twice since our honeymoon nearly 15 years ago, and Lance hasn’t flown at all since then, so hopping on board with the whole family seemed a daunting task.  I checked in online beforehand, hoping that would smooth the road.  I was also thankful for our very small airport (no lines!) and truly, going through TSA security at 5:30 in the morning worked out just fine, too!

We let our 3 big kids carry backpacks for their sweatshirts, electronics, and snacks.  The packs weren’t full by any means, and we considered them “extra luggage space” if we needed it on the way home.  Lance also carried a backpack, and I had the diaper bag.  Our 7yo was in charge of the Tourister Luggage Carry-On.  We also had two suitcases to check.  All in all, 8 bags.  Here goes!

Happy baby at 5:15 in the morning.  Poor thing hadn’t realized that Mama, in her midnight stupor, dressed her in mismatched clothes.  Whoops!  We trekked from the parking lot to the airport, lugging bags and babies.  Mr. 2 was a champ, as were the rest of the crew.  I forked over an extra $36 when scheduling the flight so that I could give us 6 assigned seats, 3 right in front of the other.  For a family that had never flown together, that was money well spent!

We warned the kids that their ears might feel funny when we take off, and made sure they were chomping on gum and/or sticky, tart candy.  (Hey.  Whatever it takes, right?)  They did  fabulous!

It was pretty exciting to be served drinks in the sky, but after that The Tired started to catch up to a few of them.  The first leg of our flight was 2 hours long, and we did some napping after the 7yo threatened to vomit beside me.  Major close call, there.  When Mr. 2 became restless, a kind (young!) grandma asked if I’d let him play HER ipad.  “I have it loaded with games for my little grandson,” and she handed it over for the last 20 minutes of the flight.  How fun is she?!

Baby girl was bothered by the decent, yanking on her ears and not interested in nursing, but 10 minutes of fussing in a baby who had been awake (for the most part) since 4am?  I’ll take it!  When we arrived in Atlanta I piled out with the kids to get directions to our next gate while Lance stayed behind to grab the carry-on (which was never above us like it should have been.  Is that a “thing” with frequent flyers?  Drove us bonkers that our spaces were ALL taken ALL the time!)  We met up and hustled through the airport to make our connecting flight, after an emergency bathroom break (for mom!).  Thirty minutes.  Five kids.  We MOVED.  And, we made it.

We then settled in for the second, 1 hour, leg of our flight.  Smooth sailing!  Once we landed in Orlando we very much appreciated our early departure from a small airport.  It was packed in there at noon!  “Are we here?!  Are we at Disney World?!” they were asking at the airport.  “Is this our hotel?!”  Nope.  Still the airport.    We navigated our way through the food court (totally should have stopped for lunch ~ big mistake), hit the tram to find the Magical Express.

Stay tuned… we’re almost there! 

Disclosure:  I attended the Disney Social Media Moms Conference and received discounted rates and tickets to various events and attractions. All opinions are my own.

Way Up High in the Sky is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

I’ve already had a few of you email to get this printable again. You’re on top of it, I tell ya! With our school year coming to a close on Wednesday, I thought this week might be the perfect time to bring back the Summer Bingo Board.

You may either print the blank board with 25 or 49 squares and fill it in by hand, or go ahead and type in your squares before printing.  It’s fully customizable!

Summer Bingo Board ~ 25 Squares

Summer Bingo Board ~ 49 Squares

 

Use it to keep track of your lazy, hazy days in any way you please.  My plan this year is to fill about 1/2 of the 49 spaces with things *I* want each child to do (clean your room, get rid of 10 items from your room, water the garden…) and then let them fill the rest in with things *they* want to do.  That should give us a productive, fun balance for the summer.  Here are a few more ideas:

Incentive Chore Chart

With all the fun and lazing around to be had in the summer, sometimes chores and reading or writing activities aren’t as appealing.  Use the bingo board to record the “gotta get it done” tasks of summer.  (And feel free to repeat in several squares.)  Heap on a reward for each Bingo and enjoy a fun family outing after a blackout!  Alternatively, have a “pay day” for each Bingo and a shopping date for a blackout.

• clean out the car
• water the garden
• sweep the porch
• clean your room
• plant flowers

Bored No More

It happens.  “Mom, I’m boooored.”  Save your breath!  When you hear that infamous phrase, point to the Bingo board.  Child must complete one (or five? ) tasks on the board before uttering another complaint.  Likely, the child will get caught up in the activity and be bored no more!

• complete a puzzle
• read for 30 minutes
• write a letter to a friend/cousin/grandparent
• create a clay sculpture
• practice and perform a skit

Reading Chart

Have a long list of books to read this summer?  Record their titles on the chart.  Provide small prizes for every bingo and a larger one for a blackout.  (trip to the zoo, out for ice cream)  The same idea would work for a “homework review” type of chart.

Summer Bucket List

Enter all the activities and outings, large and small, that your child has to look forward to this summer.  Have fun looking ahead and marking them off as you go.  The goal?  Have a blackout summer!

• feed giraffes at the zoo
• scream down the water slide
• catch a fish
• write your name in the sand at the beach
• spin around the roller rink

Eat Your Way Through Summer

Summer is a great time to load up on fresh fruits and veggies and frozen treats.  It’s also a good time to get kids in the kitchen learning new recipes.  What would you like to eat this summer?  Make a Bingo chart and eat your way through summer!

• new-to-you veggie from the garden
• fruit salad
• sno cones
• homemade popsicles
• yogurt parfait

Bingo Your Way

Rules schmules.  Our Bingo boards are definitely hybrid.  A mixture of fun, chores, big outings and the small stuff that makes summer… summer! (That’s why I like the BIG board… we need 49 squares!)

• sleep in the tent
• bake and take cookies to a neighbor
• sleepover with cousins
• write a letter to Imon
• play bocce ball
• rub Mommy’s back

Summer Bingo Board is Back! {Free Printable} is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

Since I spend approximately 25 hours a day nursing my baby in the recliner (dramatic much?) I was happy to receive an infant nursing pillow to try out for our little one.  Here's what she thought of it.

Fun toy, Mom!

Apparently active 9 month old babies don't need no stinkin' nursing pillow.  She's a bigger baby and we're in our groove, so for our nursing purposes the Mombo wasn't necessary.  However, I do think it's a quality, beautiful pillow that would be very helpful to a new mom nursing her tiny infant, so I'm gifting my Mombo to a friend expecting a baby next month!

Mombo has a unique shape and a two-sided design called Firm2Soft™, with each side offering a different experience. The firm side gives essential support for mommy and her nursing baby. The soft side is extra cozy—an inviting place for lounging or tummy time. And mombo is the only nursing pillow with a vibration feature, to give baby the ultimate soothing experience while lounging.

The Mombo would be helpful in those early days when mom is constantly hunched over the baby.  You know what I'm talking about, right?  That ache in the neck and between the shoulder blades?  With proper support and posture, nursing the baby would be a much more comfortable task. 

Mombo™ products, made by Comfort and Harmony, are available at Toys R Us (maybe Babies R Us).  You can follow Comfort & Harmony on Facebook and Comfort & Harmony on Twitter for special deals and product information. 

Want to win a Mombo™?  

Comfort and harmony sent me an extra mombo™ deluxe nurser to give to one of my readers!  To enter, simply leave a comment telling me why you want a mombo™ (is it for you? a friend? a loved one?  your wild 9 month old baby who will find it super fun to climb on?).

Giveaway ends Monday, May 20, at 11:59 pm.  Winner will be randomly drawn and notified by email.  US addresses only, please. 

Mombo Nursing Pillow ~ {Giveaway} is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

I’m a mess.

However, I did do one smart thing.  Our freezer held a few crucial meals for our arrival.  We got home Monday.  Today is Saturday.  I haven’t been to the store yet, and we’ve been eating well all week with very little effort on my part!   We feasted on brown bag burritos, steak fried rice, and chicken pot pie this week.  Hooray for freezer cooking!  (And hooray for a new-to-Tiny Town thrift store that happens to carry 1/2 gallons of milk.)

Today’s the day, though.  We’re out of fresh fruits and veggies, eggs, milk, sugar…  I’ll likely seek out some “Manager’s Special” items that may change the menu plan, but here’s what I’m starting with.

Also?  School’s out for the year at 11:00 on Wednesday!  That means we’ll most likely revert to “summer eating” which, most days, means two bigger meals (big breakfast and late lunch/early supper) and a snacky meal.  Add to that the beginning of summer ball season, and you’re about to see how “real” food gets around here.  Why did I agree to that series again?! 

Breakfasts

• eggs (scrambled, fried, or pizza omelet) with toast, English muffins, or other muffins (peaches n cream, maybe?)
• French toast and fruit
• homemade granola and/or blueberry baked oatmeal
• homemade waffles or pancakes, eggs, fruit

Snacky Meal

• apple slices with peanut butter and/or cheese
• veggies with dill dip, kale chips
• popcorn and banana berry freeze

Supper

• brown bag burritos with lettuce, salsa, cheese, avocado, sour cream
• sandwiches, chips, fruit (on the road to a ballgame)
• skillet enchiladas, salad, corn
• lasagna, salad, French bread
• grilled hamburgers, oven fries
• taco mac and cheese, peas

Does your menu strategy change when school’s out?  What summer foods are you most looking forward to?  Thank you for putting up with me and my Disney Hangover.  Just keep swimming… just keep swimming…

Menu Plan ~ Week of May 19 {Because I should probably start cooking again.} is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

On March 5 I was shaking as I opened the email.

Dear Amy

We are pleased to invite you to the 2013 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. This invitation-only professional conference for social media-minded moms and dads will take place May 9 – 12, 2013 at the Walt Disney World® Resort near Orlando, Florida.

The email goes on to say that it is a family-friendly conference and we should all attend.

Are you kidding me?!

Friends,  a trip to Disney World was never on our radar.  Spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to get my family of seven to Florida just isn’t in our budget right now, nor our dreams.  We have embraced our lifestyle and have been very content with day trips here and there, sporting events for our kids, and occasional overnighters to buy a new-to-us vehicle.

This was a shocker.  Other than the flight (6 plane tickets = ouch!) the conference was greatly subsidized.  We knew right away that if we were ever going to “do Disney” in the near (or far???) future, the time to jump was now.  Plus, I quickly found out that some of my dearest blogging friends were also invited.  Getting our families together for the very first time?  At Disney World?!  No way was I turning that one down!

Lance and I checked the details, estimated the total cost, and registered that day.

This is where living below our means comes in handy.  This is where saving first comes in handy.  This is where making do comes in handy.   Though we never expected this, the saving philosophy reins true.  Blessedly, the money was there.

We’re going to Disney World!

And we aren’t telling a soul… (more to come)

Disclosure:  I attended the Disney Social Media Moms Conference and received discounted rates and tickets to various events and attractions. All opinions are my own.

A Magical Invite is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

Photo source:  Shannon Shaffer

Our oldest turned 10 last Monday. Double digits, Baby. She’s a goofy one. Headstrong. Opinionated. Passionate. Sassy.

Some say she’s my clone, poor thing.

For her birthday this year she requested a Girls’ Day Out with her cousin, so we shopped the Saturday before her big day. We ate donuts. We shopped some more. We ate Freddy’s burgers and fries. Shopped. Ice Cream. A movie. It was a big, good day.

After having a blast and purchasing a few favorite and needed things on Saturday, Monday came with a birthday letdown.

Until it happened. The ordinary extraordinary.

Living where we do lends itself to friends in our yard and impromptu play dates. When I looked out the window that afternoon, Birthday Girl was pitching the kickball. There were 12 children running through our weeds, and only 3 of them were ours. The next time I looked, a local pastor had joined the game and was tagging someone out.

The next time? The hose was on and the kids were cooling off.

It was an instant party in the most extraordinary way.

I got lucky and had some fruit and other snacks available, so I set out a tray of grapes, strawberries, and frozen yogurt tubes for the masses, then added some plastic cups with an order to “use the hose!” to fill them with water, because we are super fancy like that.

“Mom!” she yelled as they switched to the dodge ball side of the yard (because heaven forbid you play dodge ball in the same spot you just played kickball). “It’s a beautiful day, my friends showed up, we have snacks for everyone, and we’re having a blast. This is the Best Birthday Ever!”

Well, then. The ordinary extraordinary. Gotta love a kid who fuels up and embraces it.

Whether you’re planning an epic party or turning the ordinary into extraordinary, every day is an adventure. With Quaker® Perfect Portions you can provide your family with the fuel they need for their epic adventures.

Share how you make everyday an adventure and see other storieson Everyday Health.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker®. The opinions and text are all mine.

The Best Birthday Ever is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

More to come just as soon as I can string a few sentences together. So.Very.Tired. Guess that’s what happens when you’re up for 21 straight hours at the end of a 5 day trip.

I owe you an explanation. is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

Instead of blogging, I’ve been…

… sucking snot out of little noses.

… snuggling a sweet 2yo for a 30 minute nap.

… sweeping crumbs 498 times before the baby gets to them.

… thoroughly enjoying a quality hair cut.  (No more triangle hairdo!)

… eating doughnuts with silly girls.

… updating my wardrobe for the first time in 2 4 8 years.

… forcing myself out of my late night social media zone and into my bed at a more reasonable hour.

… baking cinnamon rolls for the teachers (Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!)

… grilling steaks for my 10yo.  (Happy Birthday!)

… updating my pre-paid dumb phone (to a smartER model, still pre-paid but still not a smartphone).

… eating pizza under the weight of goofy children, snuggled in watching a movie.

… shopping with two of my favorite pre-teens and a roly-poly baby girl.

… taking pictures of the impromptu neighborhood kickball game in our yard.

… creating last-minute meals from what we have on hand.

… borrowing milk from the neighbor at 7am.

… buying non-organic strawberries because I couldn’t pass up the 99 cent price.

… whipping up loaves of poppy seed bread at the birthday girl’s request.

I’ll get back to blogging.  Hopefully today, even.  Maybe right after I…

… attend the kids’ awards assembly.

… sweep crumbs off the floor.

… polish fingers and toes pink.

… roll ringlets into 5yo hair.

… video their music concert.

Life is full, chaotic, and happy in Tiny Town.  What’s going on with you?

Instead of Blogging is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

So.  As it turns out, my kids keep growing right out of their clothes.  How dare they!    With 5 children in the house, the prospect of keeping them dressed in decent, clean clothing that fits and doesn’t break the bank is slightly daunting.  And as our children get older and need “specialty items” (ie. soccer cleats) and start to have stronger opinions about what they wear, the challenge is on!

While I want them to be comfortable, clean, and cute, I’m not interested in my children wearing all the latest fashions from the most popular stores.  It’s best they learn that good enough is good enough nice and early in life.  I do, however, use a few strategies to keep all of us happy.

Know what you have and what you need.

Last week was Seasonal Clothing Swap week at our house.  (Never mind that it snowed just this morning.)  I got the 9, 7, and 5 year olds swapped out, with just the littles left.  We have 3 girls, 2 boys, and lots of clothing.

As we went through things to put away and things to use from storage, we tried to be mindful of what fit well and what they really liked.  Something I’ve learned well the more kids we have is that our kids have too many clothes.  There’s no sense in overbuying and not getting good use out of the items you buy.

As we filled drawers, I inventoried items on a piece of paper.  Which tops worked with which bottoms.  What dressier items we have. Then we were able to make a (very short!) list of what we still need.  This is important, because as tempting as it is to grab random items on clearance, those shorts will do you no good in the basement storage with tags on it if you have so many pair of shorts that you forget about them.  (Ask me how I know!)

Embrace Hand-me-downs.

We have been so fortunate for many years.  A couple of (well dressed!) families in town have generously shared their girl clothing with us, and we’ve also been blessed by extended family who have children older than ours.  As the kids get older and bigger, the hand-me-downs are fewer, but wow we’ve saved a ton of money in the meantime!

Don’t be afraid to ask a family what they do with the clothes their kids grow out of.  They may just be thrilled to have a new home for those too-small clothes!  You could always barter child care or make them a meal in exchange for their generosity.

Utilize consignment stores for selling and buying.

Looks-like-new Nike baseball cleats for $2?  Yes, please!  Never mind that they were 3 sizes too big at the time.  We have a great little consignment store about 20 minutes away.  Store policies are all different, but with this one I take in a couple of boxes of seasonal items every few months.  I get 1/2 of whatever they sell for.  Last time I went in to the store, I found a couple of things for me.  When I went to check out, I had $22 cash from items I had sold.  Yipee!

By selling things we no longer need, we get cash to buy treasures (like $2 Nike cleats) that we do need.  We don’t have to spend our earnings there, but I like to support the store when I can, simply because they are doing a lot of legwork for me!

***Side note:  Garage sales are often great for kids’ clothes, if you have the time to get to them.  It’s very hit or miss, and I just don’t have that time right now.  If you find a particular house with clothing sizes perfect for your child, consider asking them about a seasonal “bulk buy.”  They may be thrilled to have a place to regularly sell clothes at garage sale prices without all the work!

Buy out of season.

I used to be the Queen of Seasonal Clearance.  I also used to buy way more than I needed, and some of that clearance went to waste.  As our family grows and our schedule fills I simply don’t have time for a lot of clearance browsing, but if I find a steal on a pair of track pants or jean shorts out of season, I buy.  It’s the right thing to do.

If somehow we don’t use the steal?  I can either 1) gift it, or 2) sell it.  Ebay sometimes does well, and people love finding new with tags items at the consignment store.

Shop online with coupon codes.

Truth?  My oldest child is getting a bit choosy about her clothes.  She’s also thin and needs “slim” pants and shorts.  We rarely have a free weekend to shop, but browsing online is fun for both of us!  I have had great luck finding free shipping and other coupon codes at sites like Save1.com so that shopping from home is at least as inexpensive and even more convenient than a trip to town.

Clothing the kids definitely takes a chunk of change, but there’s no need to break the bank if you plan ahead, know what you have, and use your resources.  What are your favorite money-saving strategies when it comes to kids’ clothes? 

Because Kids Keep Growing {Saving Money on Children’s Clothing} is a post from: The Finer Things in Life