With the economy the way it is, it is almost too difficult to stay afloat, and I would imagine a lot of families are struggling just to keep food on the table. I certainly miss the days when gas was only one dollar a gallon. Between my husband I, a visit to the pump is almost close to two hundred dollars! We cannot afford to go anywhere. I think I will have to resort to a horse and buggy soon.

With that being said we find ourselves looking for ways in which we can consolidate debt so things are a little more manageable. It makes it tough because with the economy the way it is you have to choose whether or not to pay for gas to work or pay for the groceries so you can eat. both are a double edged sword because you need money to eat an you need the gas to get to work so you can make the money to pay for it all!

So now, even more than ever, it is important to try and save all those pennies up and try and get debt under control. I have been considering either refinancing the house and combining our debt all into one place which would help to make the debt more manageable. I think the best option is to get a debt consolidation loan. This can help to lower your interest rates on the money you owe and let you have one monthly payment, instead of six! It certainly makes things easier and you know what is ahead of you. It doesn’t make your debt less but can help you get it under control. Bills.com can help!

It is just about that time when all the kiddies are heading back to school. I can remember the days when we would go to the store and buy all the new things I needed for school. I don’t know if I was like most kids or not, but having new crayons to take out of the box or new pencils was always a real treat for me.

In order to stay organized this year, I have vowed to label everything. Although my little guys are too little for school yet, I like to keep all their toys organized with the DYMO Labelmaker. I usually label all their toy bins so I can keep track of things and it makes clean up a snap. The label maker is also good for organizing your pantry, labeling cd covers, and I also use it for labeling my folders in the file cabinet. It definitely helps to keep up with things in your home.

So, in the spirit of going back to school why not arm yourself with the tools to keep your children busy and keep yourself organized. I know it will definitely help me keep a handle on all the toys stuff, as well as, all the extra little things!

I have recently started re-organizing our dining room or the boy’s play room. I have decided to give it a fresh coat of paint and get all their toys in check. If you have young children you know what I am talking about when I talk about a trail of toys all over the place!

I have been searching for some sort of solution to organize all their little things, like blocks, and cars and little people, to where these things are contained yet my boys can see what’s there. I currently have everything in bins but you cannot see through them, so they forget what is in there.

I ran across Kids Klutter Katchers and thought I would give them a try. I love these things, because they are durable mesh and you can see through them. They hold blocks, cars, puzzle pieces, train track, drawing supplies, you name it…the possibilities are endless. They are great for other clutter in the house as well. Definitely worth having on hand for organizing the place!

If you are looking for organization this is a good place to start.

For a limited time at Kids Klutter Katchers you can use coupon code 3FREEDB at checkout to receive 3 free Kids Klutter Katchers zippered mesh fabric toy bags with the purchase of 15 or more! Expires 10/1/08.

I decided to make hamburgers tonight and I had divided ground beef in freezer bags.  I always have to remove my rings to mix up the hamburger when it dawned on me to just thaw and mix it in the bag!  Here’s what I did for my hamburgers tonight…

1lb of ground beef

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Few dashes of worchestershire sauce

splash of soy sauce (my good friend Jack gave me this tip)

Onion powder (as much as you like)

Pepper (as much as you like)

Garlic powder ( as much as you like)

I just grilled mine on my George Foreman grill…but you can grill them or broil them

1. Chocolate: Its a good thing because I always have it on hand here at the house LOL It’s partiularly good when the toddlers are bouncing off the walls and I need a “me” moment. The kind of chocolate that’s good for you is the dark or bitter chocolate (you can wash it down with some milk chocolate haha). It contains chemicals called polyphenols that reduce the presence of free radicals, which cause cell and DNA damage. It also protects the heart.

2. Red Wine: Well I never have really liked alcohol of any kind. Now folks this doesn’t mean get slopping drunk. Polyphenols are the key - chemicals such as tannins and flavonoids in the grape skin and seeds that are powerful antioxidants.

3. Stress: SAY WHAT?!!! Ok, well long term stress is no good, but short bursts are good for the whole “fight or flight”…used to help keep men protected against predators…does that mean my kids are the predators? LOL!

4. Ice cream: WOOOHOOOO! Ice cream is low GI, which means it releases its sugar gradually into your blood after you’ve eaten it, which means you’re not left wanting another pint lol. Bring on the Ben & Jerry’s. I can handle this one folks!

5. White bread: White bread flour is fortified with calcium and iron as well as B1 and niacin. And because white bread has less fiber, it means that more of the calcium is absorbed. As a rule you should stick with whole grain breads…but at least white bread isnt totally bad for you

6. Work: Ugh makes me feel tired. But work helps you stay healthy. It helps reinforce your sense of social worth and extending your life expectancy. Guess the houseworkk isn’t totally thankless LOL

7. Coffee: Well that’s a yuck for me. Coffee contains antioxidates, and tannins which help unblock the arteries and protects the heart. It’s also good for the liver to protect against cirrhosis. One cup a day lowers your risk by 20%!

8. Baked beans: Yummy! Genuinely just good for the heart and I would imagine high in protein. Break out the Beano folks…they aren’t without some downwind risk! LOL

9. Guinness: Not the book…the beer. Yuck! Apparently a pint of the dark black stuff is much like a daily aspirin.

10. Newspaper Lists: Apparently reading long lists in papers helps with stress..go figure.

You can read more about it HERE

With having two little ones running around, I inevitably have someone with a runny nose! If it’s not allergy related it is the dreaded cold and we all know that most toddlers aren’t great at getting to a kleenex right away. I know when my son Alex sneezes it sort of goes everywhere and before I can trip over the toys to the kleenex, he has managed to use his arm… ugh! It never fails!

The hardest part about kids with colds, is the dried up crusties and crud that they manage to have everywhere. A lot of times they wake up with it dried to their little faces and its hard to get off without practically scrubbing off their skin! The stuff is worse than super glue I tell ya!

So, I ran across a product called Boogie Wipes. Finally someone developed a product that was useful in managing the dreaded booger fest! I tried Boogie Wipes out and, they take the dried crud right off their faces without scrubbing your kid to death.

Boogie Wipes are made with extra saline and makes for gentle removal of dried on mucous. They are hypoallergenic, alcohol free and moisturize with added Chamomile, Vitamin E and Aloe.

Boogie Wipes will definitely be in stock in my cabinet!

I am sure I am not the only one who lives with a snorer. My dear husband has snored as long as I have known him, and recently I had to kick him out of our room because the walls began to rattle lol!

He is an allergy sufferer, and I think this time of the year makes the snoring worse. I have spent many nights tossing and turning, listening to the myriad of sounds he makes.

You know how it goes….you start out with a friendly lil tap on the shoulder and the snoring stops for a few seconds (long enough to get yourself comfortable), and then you start to hear the subtle zzzz coming back. As it gets louder, you try another tactic…give the covers a yank, to shake him around a bit. LOL! It works for approximately 60 seconds and then you are back to square one. Then I make the concerted effort to politely ask him to roll over, but first you have to get him to understand what you are saying! After he rolls over, it all stops for about 5 minutes, and then it begins all over again but much louder than before. So, for 45 minutes I am laying in bed trying to devise a tactical plan,when I finally smack my husband and tell him to move! He then proceeds to tell me “Hon, I don’t know what you’re talking about…I was awake the whole time!” Here we are arguing in the dark whether or not he was awake or not…LOL!

Anyway I ran across an article…maybe it will help some poor soul out there who lives with a snorer.

9 Ways to Help You Stop Snoring

Yesterday it was an unusually cool day for Summer! We have a black driveway so I decided to bust out the sidewalk chalk with the boys and do a little artistic creation. As the creative juices starting flowing I decided to draw a road on the driveway and got out the boys little bobby cars. Alexander caught on right away and was driving his car on the road LOL. He had a blast and it is a great idea! They loved the idea of drawing on the ground and then took turns running in circles stepping on all the new artwork on the ground. We weren’t sure what that was about but they were laughing and having fun, so it was a big hit. If boredom has taken over, then this might be an idea to help get out of the funk. It helps lil ones explore their creativity and gives them something new to try. Be creative, draw a town with a road, Spell their name, do the alphabet, draw things for them to identify, or just make spots for them to jump on. The possibilities are endless.! It gets the family fresh air and most important time together!

As my boys are getting a little older, it is never too early to start teaching them about giving and receiving, and most importantly about thanking people for their kindness in remembering them.
Growing up my Mom always made a point of making sure I sent “thank you cards” out to people for gifts I had received at my parties, graduation etc. First off it says a lot to the person who gave the gift and that they weren’t just at the event so your child could get a gift and secondly it says you are teaching your child manners! I believe some form of acknowledgment is important…for me if I get a verbal “thank you” that is enough but for others a “thank you” in the mail is important.

If your child is old enough to write, get him or her involved by letting them write their own words of thanks and help with spelling. You can let them add their own personal touch by drawing pictures and such..let them have fun with it!

If your child is too young to write you can let him put hand prints in a card and you can write a small message. This is about teaching them these things early, so later, it is something they are willing to do and associate it with something fun. I think that makes a big difference!

Another good idea is, you can take a picture of your child enjoying their new toy or thing they received
and include it with the thank you card. Not only do people have a thank you card but a photo and happy reminder of the wonderful gift they gave that made your child smile.

At Cards Direct they have lots of thank you cards to choose from and you can even personalize them and have your address printed on the envelope. There are so many options!

I ran across a list of things to have on hand for busy toddlers taken from the family education site and thought I would share. I am always looking for things to do with my boys. It always nice to have a variety of supplies on hand ad at the ready, especially on rainy days when you are stuck indoors! Also varying their activities helps with all aspects of their development!

Top 10 Materials to Have on Hand for Toddler Activities

1. Crayons: Remove the labels from crayons when possible. For the younger child, fatter crayons work best. (Crayola makes a great triangular crayon!)
2. Construction paper: Construction paper is very versatile. Be sure to keep a wide variety of colors on hand.
3. Poster board: Use poster board when you need a stronger, more durable paper.
4. White craft glue: You can also use rubber cement or school paste for most projects. Choose what works best for you and your child.
5. Old magazines: Old magazines are a wonderful source for collage and activity pictures. Nature and home-living magazines are the best for this.
6. Scissors: In addition to adult scissors for you, purchase a pair of safety scissors for your child. If you wish, you can also find beginners’ guiding scissors and fancy-edged scissors at school supply stores.
7. Felt-tip markers: Markers are useful for adding small details to projects. Washable markers are available.
8. Food coloring: This is handy for coloring homemade dough and various other craft materials. Please note: It does stain.
9. Recycled household materials: You can reuse materials such as egg cartons, yarn scraps, toilet paper tubes, and boxes for many activities.
10. Tempera paint: Tempera paint is an easy paint for your child to work with. It has a nice smooth texture and comes in many colors.