Mask

The combination of scents in my house right now is stifling. I want to escape! I'm just about going crazy. Imagine a stinky basement, a broken garbage disposal and air freshener.

My basement has stunk for about a year. Why don't I just clean it, right???? Right!!!!! The problem is a little deeper than that. My fat cat got sick last year and we didn't really realize that he was sick for a couple days. So, poor kitty was basically crying for help and then started peeing in the basement. Yes, peeing! I guess we weren't paying him enough attention to realize that he was sick. So, rather than peeing in his cat box, kitty was peeing everywhere. As it turns out, he had kidney stones or some kind of urethral blockage. He got better after spending a night at the vet and us forking out a $500 check. But then .... the scent. What to do about the scent? I tried all sorts of scent removal products and techniques and nothing has worked. Some provide temporary relief, but none has permanently taken care of the problem. We got rid of our chairs and other furniture that kitty may have infected, but the scent is still here....lurking and silently driving me insane. I suggested to my husband that we get rid of the carpeting and his response was what's wrong with you - there's no scent. Are you kidding me???? Where's your sense of scent? So, I've been stuck with a scent that apparently is only in MY head.

Then my garbage disposal stopped working on Wednesday night - and of course, it would stop on the night that I made fish. The motor is apparently stuck and I've been at the bottom of the cabinet with a flashlight and a wrench trying to jimmy the motor, but with little luck. There is stuff in there; stuff that I prefer not figure out (or even think about for that matter). The only saving grace in this situation is that husband actually smells it!

So, there is the stinky basement and the rotting garbage disposal and I added insult to injury because in my infinite wisdom I sprayed a lovely air freshener through the house. In ordinary circumstances, this Pier One house freshener is divine. But I guess rather than changing the scent (which I thought it would) it has mixed with the other scents and I now have a melange of stinky scents.

I need a mask ... Just great! If you have any tips on solving either of my two problems, let me know .... please.

Beauty Bootcamp: Facial Skincare

I took a little hiatus this week as we ventured out to the beautiful and relaxing Shenandoah Mountains on our vacation, so I didn't get a chance to tell you all about my facial at the Aveda Institute last week. Before I continue, I must encourage you to visit an Aveda Institute if you live in a city with one. For about half the price of any regular salon, you can get almost any beauty treatment that you can think of as the students "practice" on you; plus your services are done with Aveda products only! Love it, love it, love it!

I bared it all in the picture at the right the morning after my facial where I took a shot without any make-up at all. I wish however that there was away for you to touch my skin because that was the real kicker. My skin was soft and subtle and felt perfect.

Anyway, there is not much that I can share this week because our skin types and issues are just as diverse as our skin color. I learned early on to make sure that I follow the three step facial skincare regime habitually - Cleanse, tone and moisturize.

Unbelievably I still have acne at my age, so my skin care regime is pretty basic - Proactiv. I used Proactiv a few years ago and my skin cleared up beautifully and then I stopped and you can guess what happened, so I'm back on it and it's working pretty well. Proactiv makes it pretty simple with it's 3 step process. Additionally, I use a tinted moisturizer with SPF 30 so everyday I'm pretty assured that I am also protecting my skin from the sun.

Whatever product line that you use, expensive or inexpensive, please make sure that you Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize and Protect your skin.

A few of my own tips - don't know whether or not they actually work; but some are worth a try:

- ALWAYS wash your make up off at night. NEVER go to bed with make up because the oils may clog your pores

- Witch hazel is a great substitute for toner

- A little hydrogen peroxide on a pimple may help get rid of it faster

- Mix a little oatmeal and water and use as a mask that will leave your skin soft and bright

- Apply mask before taking a shower and leave it on while in the shower because the steam from the shower will help the mask work a little better

- Make sure that you remove any unwanted facial hair either by waxing or using a hair removal creme because it's not a good look to have whiskers!

See you next week for body skin care - I have booked a spa appointment for a Vichy Shower Tahitian body scrub. I can't wait to let you know how that goes.

Beauty Bootcamp

I have six weeks before my job heats back up so I want to take a little time for ME during this break, so I'm taking a beauty bootcamp! This is not a real program, nor is it even a real term (I don't think), but it best describes what I want to do.

I take moderate care of my hair, but I want to deep condition it every week and fuse my split ends back together. There is no reason that my elbows are so dark, dry and crusty all at the same time. Same goes for my knees. And, let's not talk about my feet (see photo -yikes!). Although I get a pedicure every 2 weeks my heels look I've been walking barefoot in the sand and let's not even start to talk about my corns. I am 35 years old (and trying to be a grown woman) and don't know how to apply make-up.

I want a make-over and I want to start learning about beauty and various things that I can do to improve a different part of my body every week. I'm working on the fitness/health element through Better U, so now I need to pair it with the beauty element.

I'll definitely keep you posted on my journey and when I get a few tips, I'll let you know. If you're joining me at Beauty Bootcamp, let me know. Maybe there'll be enough of us to get a coach!

Quick, Before I Change My Mind

So I really couldn't care less about football. Seriously. I mean, it was fun in college because I attended a D1 school and my hubby played for the team, but when it comes to the NFL...eh. But, hubby (like most men with a pulse) loves the game. I'll totally watch him play on the weekends in his intramural league, but asking me to watch Monday (or Sunday or Saturday or Thursday) night football is like asking me to clean chicken for 3 hours. I'd rather be giving birth without an epidural.

And since football season is just starting, and we've already had a handful of mini-arguments about the "tv selections" and scheduling "weekend activities," I figure that maybe it would be nice if I tried to take an interest in the game. Even the party we went to on Saturday night consisted in large part of people screaming back and forth about who they thought was the best receiver - Terrell Owens or Randy Moss. (The only factoid I had to contribute was the T.O. has a line of children's books - which I am proud to say nobody else knew about, heh heh) But I'm thinking, wouldn't it be great if we actually could enjoy this interest of hubby's together? I see those women who are all into the game and know players and stats and win records, and plan game parties and blah di blah di blah. And while I don't need to get to the level of wearing teal and orange sweatsuits, it would be cool if I could actually sit through a chunk of a game without wanting to pull out my hair.

So, anybody have any tips? I figure the first step is to make myself knowledgeable in the area. Any football for dummies-type websites I can start with? I'm already all over this book.

My hubby thanks you.

Fisher Price Toy Recall

Just in case you haven't heard, there is a major toy recall for many Fisher Price toys for kids (esp. toddler toys). See the release below:

Fisher-Price Recalls Licensed Character Toys Due To Lead Poisoning
Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firms named below, today announced a voluntary
recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using
recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, and other children's
toys
Units: About 967,000
Importer: Fisher-Price Inc., of East Aurora, N.Y.
Hazard: Surface paints on the toys could contain excessive levels of
lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse
health effects.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: The recalled involves various figures and toys that were
manufactured between April 19, 2007 and July 6, 2007 and were sold alone
or as part of sets. The model names and product numbers for the recalled
toys, which are all marked with "Fisher-Price," are listed below. The
toys may have a date code between 109-7LF and 187-7LF marked on the
product or packaging.
Sold at: Retail stores nationwide from May 2007 through August 2007 for
between $5 and $40.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from
children and contact Fisher-Price. Consumers will need to return the
product and will receive a voucher for a replacement toy of the
consumer's choice (up to the value of the returned product).
Consumer Contact: For additional information contact Fisher-Price at
(800) 916-4498 anytime or visit the firm's Web site at
www.service.mattel.com

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the
recalled products, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07257.html

Works for Me Wednesday: Baking Cupcakes

While baking one day, I discovered that Chatterbox's toy kitchen ladle was the perfect size for filling the molds in my cupcake tin. No more overflowing, messy molds! I've been using it ever since. With her permission, of course.

Check out Rocks In My Dryer for more tips...

Works for Me Wednesday: Eating Out with Kiddies

So simple and yet it's been a lifesaver time and time again...

When your family goes out to eat at a restaurant, ask to see the children's menu as soon as you are seated and order your child(ren)'s meal right away. Since their portion is small, their meal will come relatively quickly and will keep them busy so that you and hubby can take your time ordering and eating. The kids will also be less antsy on a full stomach and may actually sit still while you enjoy your meal (imagine that!) And, if the kid's meal comes with dessert, they can eat that while you are having your entree. Sounds pretty basic, but it's some of the best parenting advice I've gotten!

Works for us!

For more tips, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Week One: Weigh In

Gimme an F! an E! an R! and a G-I-E! Gooooo FERGIE!!

Oh don't mind them - that's just my personal weight loss cheerleading squad. They're quite motivating. If not a tad obtrusive during my work meetings.

But they're cheering because...I'm back on track with my weight loss. Today ends the first week of the Tales from the Scales weight loss challenge. I weighed in this morning and, since I started my diet in January, I've now lost a total of 14lbs [that's 3.2lbs since last week]. So, I am almost halfway to my goal. I've started counting my points again after slacking for the past month, which is the reason for the big loss this past week. And I also started walking in the evenings after work.

As for my challenges? Well, I've had a couple. First, my lunchtime aerobics instructor quit so I'm back to relying on myself to fit in a workout, which is tough. Second, I stopped doing WW online and have been doing it on paper, which is also a bit tougher. Third, since I've lost this weight, I've dropped to the next WW points range which means that instead of being able to eat 24 points per day, I now can only eat 22 points per day to see weight loss results. And boy do those extra 2 points make a big difference! Also, this past weekend did not help my cause since we ate out twice and it's much harder for me to stay on track with my points once I leave my doorstep.

So that's my report for Week 1. So far so good. But before I go, let me share a few of my favorite things to eat that are low in points but aren't necessarily "diet" food. Which I hate.

Campbell's Select Microwaveable Bowls:
Soo yummy! And filling. My favorites are Chicken with Egg Noodles (3 pts); Savory Lentil (4 pts); Italian-Style Wedding (4 pts); and Mexican Style Chicken Tortilla (5 pts). I love them because I can eat a hot, satisfying lunch for under 5 points. And I can toss the bowl into my purse and bring it with me to work. Just make sure to pay attention to the nutrition label - each bowl actually counts as 2 servings, not 1.

Dole Fruit Bowls:
These are great because they are only 1 point! And you can get one of your fruit servings from it. And they're good for your kids too. And of course, you can throw it in your purse.

Quaker Granola Bites:
I just discovered these this week. Each pack is 2 pts. Crunchy, tasty, wholesome and they come in Chocolate, Cinnamon and Peanut Butter. Yay. Oh wait I almost forgot: And they're good for your kids too. And of course, you can throw it in your purse.

See ya back here next week! I'll bring the cheering squad.

Works for Me Wednesday: Birthday Edition

The theme for this week's WFMW is Birthdays!

I have a love affair with special occasions. I love birthdays. I love parties. I love planning them. I love making people enjoy themselves. And I love that now with two little ones I have years of party planning ahead of me! I collect all sorts of ideas and themes in anticipation of their special days. Here is one that worked splendidly for Oldest's 1st birthday party:

Cereal "Necklaces"

All I did was take a spool of twine, cut the twine into pieces long enough to make a very very loose "necklace" and thread them (ok, I had my sister thread them) with Fruit Loops. Each child was given one of these "necklaces" during the party and they were a hit. They had just as much fun wearing them as munching on them. And they kept the kids occupied for a mighty long time. I even made the Birthday Girl's "necklace" all pink by using only the pink Fruit Loops. They're easy, affordable and fun. Give it a try...It worked for me!

Visit Rocks In My Dryer for tons more tips on how to make birthdays even more special.

Giddy Laughter on Aisle 3...

Can I just tell you about this wonderful wonderful thing I've found? On Saturday, after we spent the morning watching Hubby's flag football games I took the kids to the grocery store...Right. Around. Naptime. And yes, I know better but I was already out and about and it was sunny out and therefore so was my disposition and I thought "How bad could it be?" And it wasn't! At all. And it's all because of this wonderful little shopping cart that lets two kids ride in their own car attached to the front of your cart. It was my first time using it with both kids and it worked like a charm. There was no screaming. No crying. No kicking. No attempting to jump out of the cart by twisting and turning their way out of the safety belt. No reaching into the cart trying to eat the unwashed grapes. They were happy as larks "driving" the car around the store. The safety belts kept them strapped in and the metal grate beneath their feet kept them from losing their assorted toys that they couldn't leave home with out. This picture doesn't show it but the cart I had even had safety rails that came down on either side so I even felt comfortable putting my 13-month-old in the car.

It was amazing. I didn't have to rush through the grocery at breakneck speed like I usually do. And not once did someone ask or "grunt" at me for snacks. Granted, this particular grocery with this fine apparatus wasn't in my neighborhood, but I have noooo problem driving the extra couple miles if it means peace of mind. In fact, I will probably tell them as much the next time I go.

As I was searching online to find a photo of the cart to show you kind folks, I came across the manufacturer's website. Besides the website being pretty cool, it claims that storeowners who provide these carts to their customers drive up their sales by 20% beccause moms are able to shop longer. I can totally see how this is true. I love how the business world is finally wisening up and realizing that if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

And friends, this Mama's happy.

Works for Me Wednesday: Neat Sheet!

Do any of you have a Neat Sheet? I got one about 2 years ago during an impulse buying spree in the "Sucker" "Seasonal" aisle at our local CVS. [Those aisles will be the death of me] Now that we had a baby, it just seemed like something we could use. And it reminded me of the ground sheet that I used to use all the time camping as a kid in Brownies, Girl Guides, etc. Oh and it was pink. So I bought it. And let me tell you it was worth every penny of the 7 bucks that I dished out for it. We use it all the time! There are tons of uses for it -- check out the website for 101 uses, but so far we have used it as a carpet/tile cover when we're doing crafts; as a ground cover on our deck so that Youngest doesn't get splinters in her hands while crawling around; as a place for the kids to eat their snack while in the family room; as a picnic blanket; as a beach blanket -- just to name a few. We have the standard Neat Sheet and it's a generous size. They also have a family size one too. And there are small flat weights inside each corner so that the sheet doesn't blow away (since it is so lightweight). And it's machine washable.

Works for me!!

For more WFMW ideas, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Works for Me Wednesday: Car Edition

The theme for this week's WFMW is tips for traveling with your kids in the car. To see all the great ideas, visit Rocks in My Dryer.

I only have one and only one tip to keep me my kids happy in the car. It's easy. It's foolproof. It's magic. It's...SNACKS!

Let me break it down.

S: "S" is for "stash." You must keep a stash of snacks in the car or in your purse or in the diaper bag at all times. Your kids' favorite snack (i.e. fruit snacks) will always work best, however any snack will do. Having a stash handy will prevent you from frantically digging around in the center console while in traffic for any edible remnants of happy-meals-past. And I will admit to having once given Oldest half of a dinner mint in an act of desperation.

N: "N" is for nap. The combination of a full tummy and the lulling motion of the car will surely make your child fall asleep if the planets are aligned. A quick snack might be the only thing between you and 30 minutes of uninterrupted "Oprah & Friends".

A: "A" is for apple juice. A trusty favorite. Juice is an important part of the snack attack strategy. It can be introduced as a backup snack when the Cheetos Cheerios run out, or it can be used as a peace-keeping tactic, i.e. "Mary, it's really great that you learned about fire engines in school today, but Momma has a little headache so if you promise to stop making the fire engine siren sound, you can have some juice, m'kay?"

C: "C" is for crumbs. Unfortunately many snacks will involve crumbs. Yes, they are a pain in the behind but I'll take a few crumbs over a backseat meltdown anyday. Try to vacuum out your car every now and then to keep up. And forget the gas station vacuums - who can be bothered? A trusty handvac will do the job just fine.

K: "K" is for kicking. If you have a toddler, you'll know what I mean. Whether they are just tired or hyper, a restless child will always revert to kicking the seat in front of them. Or if your child is like my Oldest, she will kick off her shoes just to drive you batty. This is precisely when you introduce the snack. Or, if you're at the top of your game, you'll anticipate the impending assault and you'll whip out the snack before the kicking escapade begins.

S: "S" is for sanity. Follow the Sacred Snack Rule and the whole family will stay sane during your car trip. Try it! I would never lead you astray my friends.

And if this sounds like a form of bribery, why yes sister, it is. And it works for me.

Green Thumb, Anyone?

One of my projects this spring is to grow an herb garden. I've always wanted to do it. I think it would just be so cool to be able to throw your homegrown basil on top of a pizza. I know you're thinking: "So..what's the big deal? Just get the seeds, plant the darn herbs and water them." Uh, uh, uh. Not so fast my friends. You are talking to the Destroyer of All Things Green. I have successfully killed every plant that I've tried to grow.

First there was the beautiful yellow rosebush that my dad sent me when I brought Oldest home from the hospital. Now everybody (save my dad, bless his heart) knows that rosebushes are not for amateurs. And boy did I prove that theory right. Still have the pot though. It's quite lovely, although turned upside down on our front steps.

Then came the pansy that Oldest brought home for me from daycare 2 Mother's Days ago. It met its untimely demise on the front stoop during two (or twelve) thunderstorms. Again, the little red pot is postively charming. And in the laundry room.

And then there was the lovely hanging plant that I thought would bring cheer to our kitchen. And it did! For about 22 days. [Remembering to water the thing was so tedious.]

And finally there are the three topiary trees that grace our deck. They have been dead since last summer and yet still they remain, dry as all get out, in their quaint ceramic pots topped with cute stone pebbles. The idea looked great in BH&G.

And so you see my reluctance to subject any little ol' herbs to the inevitable fate that awaits them at my hand. Unless of course y'all help me! Got any advice on starting (and keeping alive) an herb garden?

Works for Me Wednesday

Here's one to keep for a rainy day, or spring break, or both...

If we're cooped up in the house and the kids (namely Oldest) are bouncing off of the walls, I rely on my trusty "toy stash" to save the day. My kids receive entirely too many toys and gadgets as gifts and party favors, etc., and so I usually make an effort to ration them. [Sounds mean, doesn't it?] I put "extra" toys on the top shelf of our linen closet and pull one out every now and then. It's a great distraction when cabin fever sets in and a much smarter use of the tons of toys they get (as opposed to them all ending up on the floor in pieces after 48 hours). Sometimes even I'm pleasantly surprised at what's stashed up there. Just yesterday I remembered that one of the things I have hidden is a box set of board books with an accompanying CD. Cool. And the toys don't even have to be extravagant - a Dora lip gloss or a 99 cent paddleball toy has brought just as much happiness to my household as much an pop-up dollhouse or fingerpaint set. The key is not to let the young'uns know where the stash is :-)

Bonus: Having this hidden loot also makes mom a superhero when boredom sets in. Good for the ego.

Works for me!

Visit Rocks In My Dryer for more spring tips.

Works for Me Wednesday

I love me some Internet. I'm a total web-surf-a-holic who appreciates all things "e" or "i." The problem is, there are just too many good things out there in web-land for me to possibly keep up with on my own so I rely on eNewsletters to keep me up to date on what's hot (and what's not). Here are some of my faves -- fyi, I'm not affiliated with any of them -- (and they're all FREE):

• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Product Recall List

"The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products. You can find information on over 4,000 product recalls and recall alerts using the various searches on this page."

But who has time to do all that? You can make it easy on yourself and have the news about the latest recalls sent directly to you. You can sign up to receive info about recalls here. An easy way to make sure your kiddies are safe.

• DailyCandy

I'm a die-hard DailyCandy fan. Here is the description taken from their website:

"DailyCandy, a free daily e-mail newsletter and website, is the ultimate insider’s guide to what’s hot, new, and undiscovered — from fashion and style to gadgets and travel. As useful as it is entertaining, it’s like getting an e-mail from your clever, unpredictable, and totally in-the-know best friend. The one who knows about secret beauty treatments, must-have jeans, hot new restaurants — and always shares the scoop."

They have 13 editions from major U.S. cities so you can sign up for the 411 on the hottest stuff in your area. And if you don't live in one of their 13 cities, you can sign up for "Daily Candy Everywhere" and you'll receive updates for the national guide which features online boutiques and the like. And, for the hip mama, they have Daily Candy Kids which is published once a week for parents.

• Council for Relationships

"The Council for Relationships is a non-profit counseling, education and research center that was founded in 1932 as the Marriage Council of Philadelphia, and remains the oldest relationship counseling and training center in the country."

Anyway, they offer a free subscription to their "Tip of the Week" articles. The tips range from advice on parenting to marriage to health to money. I like getting the helpful tips right in my inbox - sometimes they are just what I needed to hear! This week's tip is Raising "Good Children." Give it a look-see.

• The Food Network Newsletter

If you love the channel, the newsletter is an added bonus. They have a bunch to choose from. Recipe and food ideas at your fingertips. You can view a sample newsletter here.

And last but not least,

• The Fly Lady

A celebrity of sorts around these parts. The Fly Lady is your "free online coach, cheerleader, and fairy-godmother for decluttering and organizing your home and life!"

You can sign up to receive her daily reminders to how to get your house in tip-top shape.

-----------------------------------

And now for the warning...All of these newsletters are great tools BUT if you're not careful, you'll end up with an overwhelmed inbox. So, unless you're a champ at clearing out your email, you can do what I do and create an email address dedicated specifically to receiving newsletters and other non-critical info. That way you can log in at your leisure to read up on all of these tips. [Well, except for Flylady's which are meant to be read daily.]

I hope you'll check out some of these -- They work for me!

For more Works-for-Me-Wednesday tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer.

Not Quite The Louvre...

This week has been "Arts & Crafts Week" in the Fergie Household. Oldest is in love with doing "crafts" and so several times this week we've been "getting our artist on" in the evenings when I get home from work. [Really I just think she can't stand not being able to dig in my scrapbooking box and pull out the goodies] Thought I'd show off our a few of our masterpieces...

"Sparkly Spectacular"
(Ignore the red strip -- had to block out her name)

"Multimedia Mania"
(Yes, those are pasta shells!)

"Sweets for Sale"
(Oldest's Candy Store)

What kinds of activities do you do to encourage your kids to be quiet creative?

Works for Me Wednesday: Kitchen Edition

This week Shannon is hosting the Kitchen Edition of WFMW. Go on over and check out everyone's kitchen tips. There are some excellent ones!

So I'm probably the only mom whose child(ren) hang onto her legs while she's trying to do anything remotely productive while in the kitchen, right? That's what I thought. Back when Oldest was around 15 months or so I was desperate for something to keep her busy long enough for me to throw a skillet of meat sauce together and get the noodles boiling (which I can now do in less than 4 minutes, thankyouverymuch). She just loved opening cabinets and pulling the entire contents out for Mommy to grumble about and throw back in. Then one day it dawned on me to let her play in the "tupperware" cabinet as long as she liked. Very quickly, this became "Oldest's Cabinet." Playing with the plasticware would keep her busy for at least 15 minutes, if not longer and I would be able to make dinner without having her glued to my shins. Yes, she made a big mess but after she went to sleep, I'd stack all of the containers back in the cabinet (and it really only took maybe 2 minutes) and it would be all ready for the next evening.

Besides giving me some breathing room to make dinner, letting her play freely in the cabinet also had a couple of other advantages: She became only interested in "her" cabinet and left all of the other ones alone (hooray!). And it was very liberating (heh) to make the decision to only pick up the containers once a day, as opposed to getting in a tizzy, telling her "no" and constantly putting everything back multiple times a day. And, she learned how to stack the various sizes of bowls and things so well that now that she's 2, when I empty the dishwasher, I just hand her the containers and she puts it all "neatly" away by herself. And finally, the "mystery and intrigue" of the kitchen cabinet wore off after a few months and she doesn't even mess with the cabinet anymore. So, if you have little ones, you should try my cabinet approach.

Bonus Tip: My hubby says I'm a magician when it comes to finding something to eat in the refrigerator when it seems like there's "nothing" there. [I totally get this talent from my mom] So I thought I'd share some quick "We have nothing to eat!" recipes.

Bagel Pizzas:
Top half a bagel with tomato sauce (we seem to always have some in a jar), Italian seasoning and shredded cheese (we always seem to have this around too). Broil for 5 minutes. ta da!

Easy Nachos:
Top nacho chips with salsa (also a staple) and shredded cheese. Microwave for 1 minute. ta da! You can also throw on any leftover meat that you may have (chicken or ground beef, etc.) for a more filling snack. You can also use quesadillas instead of the chips if you have those on hand.

Chicken Noodle Soup:
Boil pasta (pretty much any kind will do). Add pasta to a pot of chicken broth. Add whatever veggies you have lying around (fresh or frozen). If you have leftover chicken, throw that in too. Season to taste. ta da!

Works for me!

Works for Me Wednesday

Evenin'!

I almost didn't participate in WFMW today because I couldn't really think of anything terribly crafty to share. But just now, as I was making Oldest's bed, I thought of a great tip that my hubby actually came up with that might be useful to other moms...

Instead of bending over while trying to put the fitted sheet on a crib mattress or toddler bed mattress, just lift up the whole mattress and change the sheets that way! Does that make sense? It's kind of hard to describe. It's much easier that trying to fight with the sheet corners and tucking in everything just right. Lift up one end of the mattress and put the sheet on that end, then lift up the other end and repeat. Saves my knees and my back every time.

You may already be doing this -- Forgive me, I'm a slow cookie. If not, try it next time you are on linen-change duty. Works for me!

For more tips that will make you say: "Why didn't I think of that!?" visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Works for Me Wednesday

I'll keep this one short and sweet. After all, it's 8:36pm and the new episode of Rome is starting at 9pm. But neverthless, I wanted to participate in this week's WFMW because I missed last week's and felt like such a slacker! [Blog Guilt -- now that's a new one].

Here's my tip:

In my "spare" time [insert insane laughter here] I plan weddings. No, not in my head. For real people. So I usually have my bridal emergency kit in the trunk of my car. I never thought much of it until recently, when, on one of those days when I was desperately searching in every nook and cranny of my car for some Kleenex for my daughters' runny noses, I remembered that I had a zillion small Kleenex packets in the emergency kit in my trunk. Problem solved! I realized that I had a lot of things in that kit that could come in handy to a mom spending any amount of time on the roads with kids: stain remover sticks; comb/brush; travel-size lotion; small bottle of water; hand sanitizer; safety pins; a granola bar, scotch tape; breath mints; Pepto Bismol tablets; you name it. You can even (and should) throw a diaper or two in there for good measure.

To make one, all you need to do is get a medium sized container (I used a toolbox) and fill it with goodies that you think would come in handy in an emergency. The travel-sized product aisle at your local discount store is a great place to start. Then toss it in your trunk and go!

Chances are you have 2 or more of these things floating around your car anyway -- wouldn't it be nice to know everything was in one location? That way you can find that elusive bottle of Advil right away, without having to dig around under the seats for it (or is that just me?)

Try it! Works for me.

For more interesting WFMWs, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Works for Me Wednesday -- Shortcuts!

Mornin'!

This WFMW post is inspired by my good friend J. Ny who is struggling with the balancing act that comes with being a working mom. She asked for tips on how to have time for herself while "getting it all done" and so it go me thinking about my own chaotic life and what works for me. And suddenly, it came to me -- time-saving shortcuts! I have tons and they help me everyday so I thought I'd share some of them. Here goes:

(1) Swish and Swipe! This tip totally comes from The Fly Lady and I've added my own modifications. Clorox wipes are hidden treasures in my house. We use them for everything (hubby is obsessed). But they are handy because they eliminate the need for all-purpose cleaner and sponges, etc. Just keep a container of the wipes in each bathroom. In the mornings (and not every morning, mind you) I grab a few wipes and wipe down the sink area, the faucet, the toilet, drop 'em in the bowl, flush and I'm done. This keeps the bathroom from becoming an overwhelming project on the weekends. Inside the shower we keep a bottle of tile cleaner and a sponge and I'll give it a scrub while I'm taking a shower. I also keep a spray bottle of shower cleanser in the shower and spray the doors before I step out. I keep a few plastic grocery bags in the cabinet under the sink and use them to empty the trash when it gets full. After doing these 4 things, the bathroom is virtually clean and it takes all of 5 minutes! Of course if you have the luxury of a cleaning lady, you're a lucky dog and you can skip this one.

(2) Pre-prepare Dinner! Dinnertime is tough in my house because I don't get home until 6:30pm and by that time Oldest is starving and Youngest is almost ready for bed. So I try to have quick dinner solutions that are ready to go as soon as I set foot in the door, if not before. For example, I made Monday's chicken pot pie on Sunday night after the kids were asleep. Yes, I would have preferred to be watching my missed episode of Rome but it was worth it in the end. All hubby had to do when he got home with the kids on Monday was pop the pie in the oven and bake it for 30 minutes. By the time I got home it was done and the kids were already eating. Yay! I try to do this for most of our dinner meals when I can (i.e. have chicken marinating in the fridge or a casserole ready to bake) it really saves time and headache in the long run. Also, I make a grocery list for the week on Sundays and we all go grocery shopping for the week together. I don't know why but hubby likes coming and it ends up being a family outing so I don't have to feel bad about missing the kids while I'm running errands. I also bring my cookbooks with me to work so I can plan meals during the day since the evenings are nuts.

(3) The Snack Basket. The snack basket is serious business in my house. When I unpack the groceries, I take all of the snacks out of their boxes and put them all into a basket on the kitchen counter. This way, when Oldest wants a snack or when I'm packing lunches, all we have to do is pick something out of the basket. I try to stock it with healthful stuff like fruit cups, snack size packs of goldfish, mini-rice cakes, clementines, etc. It makes it easier for Hubby to because if I'm not home he can just get Oldest something out of The Snack Basket without (a) panicking (b) calling me or (c) giving her something randomly inappropriate. I also keep snacks for Oldest, like individually-wrapped cheese sticks or grapes, in the bottom crisper in the fridge where she can access them. She loves to open the drawer and get her own snack.

(4) Bathtime! This is one of my personal favorites. Hubby actually inadvertently put me on to it one day when he was bathing the girls. Instead of using a regular baby bubble bath, he used his Dial body wash as their bubble bath. Of course I chastised him about it, but once they were out of the tub, I realized how great they smelled and how squeaky clean they were. And it foams up nice and bubbly like regular bubble bath! So all you have to do is give them a good pass of the washcloth in the key areas and ta-da! Bath accomplished. Eliminates the "please stand up for Mommy so I can scrub you down" battle. I also "Swish and Swipe" the girls' bathroom while they are playing in the tub. 2 (er- 3) birds with one stone!

Hope you liked my shortcuts. Hey, they work for me!