How do you plan your dinner menus?
My method seems so complicated when I write it out but it’s what’s worked best for me over the years! I usually start to write down dinner ideas a couple of days before payday, which is every two weeks, and I write down enough dinners for two weeks’ worth. I use little notebooks for this and usually refer back to past menus for ideas. I try and make sure I write down the cookbook and the page number if applicable, and more often than not I have to hunt around online for a …read more

I love this series of videos! We’ll be moving within the next two months and I’d like to get a jump start on the kids’ toys before we even move in to make sure we get a handle on it without having to resort to just shoving stuff into closets and into drawers.
Though my kids are getting a little older and don’t have as many toys anymore, what they do have still takes up a lot of space and can really junk up a room if not taken care of! The other videos in the series include:
~ Choosing a …read more

One of my favorite websites, The Consumerist, has a section of the site dedicated solely to what they call the Grocery Shrink Ray. Basically manufacturers are shrinking product amounts while keeping the packaging and pricing the same.
I first ran into this several months ago when I needed to get some yogurt for a recipe and realized I’d need two containers whereas I used to only need one. A little while before that I noticed when putting away packages of bulk-store bought toilet paper that the newer packages I’d just bought were a good half inch shorter than the older …read more

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We’ve had our house on the market for the last several weeks and because of this it’s important that things stay spotless so we can dash out when a realtor calls. I don’t usually care so much that the house is gleaming – tidy is nice – but we’re in a tough area for selling right now and can use any help we can get!
Anyway, keeping things clean is easy to do when I’m the only one home. But when the girls walk in the door from school there’s suddenly stuff just everywhere …read more

[image: sxc]
I love giveaways! I love finding and learning about new products, or discovering fun and beautiful things. I recently put out a request for giveaway prizes and the response was nothing short of amazing!
For this first round we have a great selection of items for mom to be won! The next round will be more kid-centric — you’ve got to put yourself first once in a while, right?

To Enter:

To enter, simply leave a comment in this entry. That’s it!
Each item will have one winner unless otherwise specified, and your one entry will make you eligible to win …read more

Some kids have already gone back (bless their hearts, I saw some teenagers yesterday who looked absolutely *miserable* about it) but a lot of kids are only starting next week or in September after Labour Day. For those of us who are still trying to prepare for the school year, Gayla at Supernanny Rules found a great article on how to make it easier on everyone in your family.
It includes a suggestion to start getting kids up at whatever hour they’ll need to rise once school starts, and to start doing it ten days before the big day, even …read more

I hate my washing machine. I don’t like to do laundry–wait, I don’t mind doing laundry, and I like having clean clothes. I hate folding clothes. I’m a great go out for a walk and have an adventure mom. I’m not so hot on the domesticity.
Some hints, then, on better wash:

always check ALL pockets for stuff: I just washed a good sized stick I’d neglected to find in my son’s pockets, and am forever pulling out crayons, rocks, weird sticky toys, etc, not to mention the inevitable tissue…
Vinegar in the rinse cycle is a fine clothes softener
hot water sets stains, …read more

“Hey, mama, do you know what I do with some of my boogers? I put them in my other nostril!”
Yes, he said that to me tonight. He really, truly did.
***
We had a long day on Saturday. We went here. We went there. We walked from here to there. He was tired. So was I. He weighs almost 40 pounds. He wanted to be carried.
One of my greatest affectations is a long scarf. I’ve got some that are maybe seven feet long and a good two and a half feet wide. Luckily, I was wearing one on Saturday and POOF! a …read more

“You laugh again, I’m going to pop you.”
Notes on how to behave:

don’t poke your kid in the chest with the point of your umbrella
Don’t slap your kid for smiling at you
Don’t tease your kids until they cry or look at you with murder in their eyes.

If you tell your kids they are bad, worthless and horrid long enough and often enough and loud enough, they will start to believe you. You sure that’s the message you want your kids to learn?
And in honor of spring having finally sprung, I will leave you with this simple, fashionista tip:
White undies under white …read more

Already, I feel I’ve missed the boat. Summer vacation is a few months away and I feel like I’ve left it too long. I’m putting it off because oh my goodness, but it’s expensive. I think it’s going to cost me about $4000 to put my kid in camp for ten weeks this summer. You better believe it’s going to be good.
Since his father is French, there’s the French camp, with immersion programs in the language. And since he loves science, I’m hoping to send him to the Smithsonian’s summer camp. He does love sports, so if there’s a soccer …read more