Chalk Board Stickers

My latest fun find- Chalk board decals. I bought an 8 pack in store at Walmart for about $10. I put 2 in each child's room, 2 on the fridge, and 2 in our master bathroom. You can leave your child encouragement, write love letters to your spouse, or even start a game of tic-tack-toe.

 I also bought a pack of color chalk for .47 cents. Get creative! The whole family is enjoying them, even my 14 year old son. They are a bit on the small size, if your budget allows, I would buy a bigger one for each room. 

They have a wide selection & design online at Walmart, link -http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?tab_value=all&search_query=chalkboard+square+wall+stickers&search_constraint=0&Find=Find&pref_store=2177&ss=false&ic=16_16&

Easy Summer Cucumber Salad

I had been buying a delicious Cucumber Salad from the deli at Vons. Last time I stopped in, they sadly told me they were no longer going to carry it... so I made my own. This is easy, keeps in the fridge well. You can get creative adding your own favorite veggies to it. Be brave, personalize it!

-Chop up 1-2 washed cucumbers, peeled or not

-Cut grape tomatoes in half (full or half container depending on how much you love them) 

-Olives I use Kalamata but black works well also, I use about 1/2 cup

-Dump in feta cheese, 1/2 cup or more if you like

-Little salt & pepper, some oregano if you are going to let it sit in the fridge for a few (1/2-1 teaspoon)

-Dump in some Olive Oil, start with 2-3 Tablespoons, if after mixing it is still dry add some more, or less if you are watching your oil intake. Vegetable or Canola oil will work if that is all you have.

Mix & Enjoy

Other ingredients to try- green peppers, red onion, zucchini

Left Over Dyed Eggs?

You know that stack of eggs is staring you in the face every time you open your fridge.. Why not make spring deviled eggs? Crack open your hard boiled eggs, cut in half (put the yoke in a seperate  bowl),  plop the whites in a cup full of dye. I just added  water, a few drops of dye, and a splash of vinegar. 5-10 minutes later Viola! Mix up the yoke with some mayo, mustard, & my favorite ingredient - apple cider vinegar. Top with paprika if you like & enjoy. They were a hit at my house.

Full article www.tablespoon.com  

My new Favorite Dinner

This dinner is yummy! I tweaked Rachel Ray's version of it to make it simpler. I made it a  few nights back, & the hubby was impressed.

Ingredients-
-1lb. flat fettuccine noodles (I use fusilli noodles)
-1 & 1/2 cups of Alfredo sauce
-ham steak diced
-1/2 cup frozen peas
-3-4 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
-1/3 cup water

- Boil water, add noodles, boil until desired firmness
- In pan on low-medium heat add the water & peas. Once the peas are heated add the ham & Alfredo sauce. Salt & Pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
-Drain pasta, add noodles to pan & mix well. (you can add more water depending on how thick you like, if it is to thin turn up the heat & add a T. of flour. Top with Parmesan cheese & serve with your favorite garlic bread.

For Rachel's full version go her website & look for the recipe- Egg Tagliatelle with ham & peas
Image from www.RachealRayShow.com

Science Fun or Party Favor

Kool Aid ice cubes, in sprite=  colorful fun

We will be making this next week for Science liquids & solids. I know most moms run from sugar these days, but I say a treat (everything in moderation) can make a day extra special. I do try to stay away from all the new fade chemical sugars, that usually follow the products label of "lite". I am just not sure how my body processes them, so I really limit "lite" to hardly ever. Hope you enjoy this awesome idea from Mrs.HappyHomeMaker.com

Frozen blue berry treat

 
I love frozen treats. What a great idea from Chef Lisi Parsons who is the chef htttp://nataliefitness.com.
Me & my daughter made them. We did a strawberry also. Pictures of our creation below.
She loved putting the blueberries on & spinning it in the yogurt. We found going through the top of the berry was easiest. You can use frozen fruit to. We used vanilla bean yogurt. Waiting in anticipation for them to be ready for movie night.

Family Life

Lately our family time has only consisted of 15 minute dinners. We are in need of a family make over. I am tired of being stuck in the daily grind. Here are some tips I am trying to implement into our family life.

• Pick a family night. Set a side one night a week for family time. Make it special by getting a dessert, play a board game, & including a family devotional time. 
• Put a family day to exercise on the calendar at least once a month. Take your bikes to the park, beach, or just in your neighborhood. Go for a walk. Play baseball or any sport together.
• Design a family crest. Sit down with whole family & draw out a crest that represents your family best. Have one hanging in child's room. Let them know they are part of something special.
• Try something new together. Even if it doesn't go as planned, teaching your children to step out of there box can be life changing
• Set goals for the whole family. Work together to find each other's strengths. Then let the person pick something they would like to work on about themselves. Brain storm ideas to reach this goal. Write it down, sign it, & put it where the family member will see it.

For more great ideas check out Bill & Pam Farrel's site http://www.love-wise.com/index.php

Cleaning 101*

Cleaning 101*

Unless you are Angelina Jolie or Princess Katherine then I imagine you use a sponge on a regular basis. I am all about helping a sister out so here are some tips I have gathered along the way.

-       Buy more then one. Costco has bulk cleaners. You can save money & time. I put one set of cleaners, along with a set of toilet brush, sponges, etc. under each appropriate sink.

-       Clean more frequently. If you wipe down you sink once a week (or have your child accomplish the task) it will take less time & require less elbow grease to come clean.

-       Make a schedule. Assign 1-2 tasks a day. That way you don’t spend a whole day cleaning.

-       Set a timer. You will be amazed how quick each task is.

-       Whistle while you work. Sing, pray, put on a podcast, or phone a friend. We are pro multi-taskers.

Wife S.O.S.

Theses ladies rock! I have seen them speak at my church before, & I was impressed. I have absorbed so many cool ideas from these ladies. This is a free webinar. I am a webinar newbie. I must say that sitting on my couch & eating some hummus (more like cookies) while watching these ladies speak will be a nice change. Lately, I have been watching a whole lot of "Amazing Race" on Hulu. If you wanna join us here is the link -http://www.marnie.com/WifeSOS_2013.php It is tomorrow!!!

Vacuum!

The word vacuum is so bizarre! Mop, sweep, wash, but vacuum?? Anyways.. to save time vacuuming buy an extension cord at the .99 cent store, and store it with your vacuum. No more plugging, unplugging. Wow, wish I had thought of this one years ago! Just looked up the word vacuum on Wikipedia-
 Vacuum is space that is empty of matter. The word stems from the Latin adjective vacuus for "empty" or "void".

Toilet Paper Roll

~Toilet paper rolls- next time you run out of TP don't toss it.  Instead use it as a cord holder for your curling iron, blow dryer, or any electrical cord. Love it!
http://www.chasinggreen.org/article/15-ways-re-use-toilet-paper-rolls/