a special snack idea

Izzy woke up a little later than usual this morning and as soon as she woke up downed a whole glass a milk (which for those of you who know her, is highly unlike her). As happy as I was with that, it diminished her appetite for breakfast and so I had to think of something creative before lunchtime to get something in her.

I suddenly remembered something a friend (cbethblog.blogspot.com) had tried with her kids and out came a cupcake baking tray. Voila!

Necessary Ingredients

-cupcake baking tray (for 6 or 12)

- 2 strawberries (sliced)

- handful of blueberries

- a few goldfish or star snacks

- a few cereal flakes

- a few pieces of apples

- a few pieces of healthy cheese.

- a baby/toddler/kid extremely excited about a new snack idea

Result - happy mommy and full toddler :)

Daddy-Daughter Dance

This past weekend I hosted a daddy-daughter dance at our home. Two hours (that actually extended to 4hrs) of dancing and dessert. 6 daddies showed up with their lovely daughters and it was so incredibly fun. I am considering making this an annual show. A special way to celebrate a special relationship. Thanks to all who participated :)

free recycle - freecycle!

Sometimes I find myself with an old piece of something that I am not using anymore. One thing you should know about me is that I hate storing things...I am not sure why but I think it may have something to do with the space it takes or may be the lack of purpose of something sitting on a shelf and may be even the fact that someone somewhere might benefit from it while I use it simply as a dust collector. A lot of times all it calls for is filling a few boxes and making a trip to the local thrift store. However sometimes, quite rarely, but still there are times when I find myself with odd objects that I am not sure what to do with but seems wrong to chuck them in the trash. Ex: the door that had to be replaced when we moved in to our new home, the ample boxes that swallowed up my garage after our move, leftover paint...you know what I mean?

Well, found the solution! Freecycling! At this site I can get and give stuff. Visit the site at http://www.freecycle.org/

I read about it on a friends blog recently...can you believe she was able to recycle some leftover chocolate birthday cake on this website...love it!!! Imagine not having to fill our landfills with things that do not need to be there!!!

It is a non-profit website that enables people to get and give things for free within their own town/community. Membership is free and all things must be FREE. Check it out!

Hmm...now if only I could find some way to flatten all those boxes in my garage....where is that hubby of mine???

Free Photo book from Walgreens

I have been thinking about getting a collection of Izzy's pics into a little book that her grandparents can carry around. There are some good deals at most of the local photo processing centers.
However none as sweet as this deal at Walgreens - FREE! (+ minimal shipping) if you befriend them on facebook.
If you are interested in this deal become a fan of Walgreens here. Deadline Oct 2nd, 2009.

Meet Alice

All of us could use a little help around the home (Martha Stewart, please ignore this post).
If you are anything like me, you find yourself running to the store for that one item that you just forgot to put on the list. Don't you just hate it :(
Well, I have an answer. Meet Alice. Actually, alice.com. My husband recently ran into this company on the web and knew it would be a welcome help-mate to us.
Alice is an online store that carries a lot of household supplies from major brands. The web store is so easy to use. Stores your product information and even reminds you of things you may need to order. How cool is that. It also has a budget tool that allows you to do some planning and budgeting of your household expenses. A lot of items are cheaper than what they are at the store. Things like diapers, toothpaste, detergent, cleaning supplies, deodorant, toilet paper, paper towels, body wash etc. All you have to do is sign in, click and drop your products into the cart and check out. Your order is at your door step in 2-3 days and the best part - FREE SHIPPING.
They have a 6 item minimum to justify free shipping but that has not been a problem for me because I can always find 6 items that are cheaper than I would have got at the grocery store.
Check it out.
Happy shopping!!!

The 1-4-1 rule

I love rules. I just love them. I get such a rush after following a rule to a T. No matter if it is the honor code of the voluntary HOA or a federal law of the United States. I try my best to follow each. Not because I have to but again because I love rules.

In my humble opinion, rules make life easier, safer and better. So there is absolutely no reason to break them. And if that were not enough - for the cherry on top -following rules instill discipline. Let me give you a personal example.

About a year into our marriage, my husband and I were re-organizing our closet space. Very quickly we realized that it wasn't so much of an issue of organization as it was one of accumulating. We just had too many things, a lot of which we didn't even remember we had. I had read somewhere that if you have something in your closet that you haven't worn in more than 6 months you should give it away and that is what we did. 2 huge trash bags full of clothes.

We both realized we needed to change our shopping habits. The 'Only if you need it' rule was not really working because if the desire is strong enough you can make a want a need with some pretty crazy ideas. We decided we needed a new rule and so we made the 1-4-1 rule.

It is a simple rule - If you buy one thing you have to give one thing away, preferably of the same kind - a shirt for a shirt, a dress for a dress, a pair of shoes for a pair of shoes and so on.

Now our closet only contains things that we really like, because it came at the cost of something else we really liked. It helps keep our wallets in our pockets because most of the time we can't think of anything we want to give away. And when we do feel like something new we can take pleasure in the thought that we will give someone in need something we really like.

If you are reading this and find yourself lost in your own closet or drowning in your kids toys, the 1-4-1 rule might help. It sure helps us. You have to keep the rule though.

So, once again, a rule saves the day.

RULES RULE!

I hate my eggs sunny-side-up

The very thought of the thick, gooey yellow flow of this morning grub just makes me want to...well, some things are better left unsaid (I mean, untyped).

Quite ironically, the name is one of my favorites. I love the way the very uttering of the words - sunny-side-up - demands a smile even as you speak it. More so, I appreciate the intent behind it. As if to imply that there is a not so cheery, happy or bright side to the egg.

I am not sure about the egg, but I sure have this side to me. I too easily focus on the bad and the ugly of things, lose my joy and embrace pessimism. Not all the time, but it still happens way more often than I am pleased to admit.

I am making an effort to deny this side of me any thought or time. So, even on the worst day I vow to find something to smile about (and blog about).
Here is to spending life SUNNY-SIDE-UP!