Quote of the Week, 4

It has been awhile since I on got on here and did much of anything. The past month has been very busy. My parents left on a trip and my mother-in-law came down to take care of the kids while we were at work.  It meant having to take care of organizing a room for her so that she could be comfortable for her stay.

My husband and I were very grateful to have her here. She is a delight to be around and is very helpful.  it was important for me to have her room be a pleasant spot.  She came down here and is devoting a full month of here time to watch her grandchildren. Our house is usually messy(toddler and a baby plus both parents working full-time), so this required a lot of cleaning.

This quote, which hangs in my cubicle at work, reminds me that the visual of an item has nothing to do with how it is registered. My mother-in-law probably doesn't look at my house and see the little messes here and there. She in fact tells me quite frequently how amazed she is at how I take care of the kids.  I know she is being sincere.

What you see, what you make out of what is in front of you, is what is important. Where one person may see a messy home, another sees a loving home.  Where I see all my weaknesses, someone else might see my strengths. Do not forget the things that you see.  

Stop 'looking', start 'seeing'. 

Dino Sandwich 2.0!

Sometimes a sandwich cut into the shape of a Dinosaur just isn't enough. Sometimes you have more time to play with the food you are about to serve.

• First, make the sandwich as you normally would. In this case - I took some peanut butter chocolate spread and put it in between some Country White bread.

• I used my little dinosaur sandwich cutter and went to work with the decorations. I ended up using the silver jimmies to make spikes on one dinosaur and spots on the other.  I gently pushed the spots down onto the dinosaur's back.

• The other dinosaur got spikes via a gentle nudge of sprinkles onto his back.  Two tiny blue sprinkles made perfect eyes.

These little dinosaurs make a cute change up.  Feel free to use whatever you have on hand to jazz up your sandwiches.  Look at what you have in the cupboards to add to your sandwiches.  Sometimes just decorating the plate can spice things up for your little eater.

Hopefully this takes the tediousness out of lunch for you.  Feel free to share any more ideas that you have in the comments section.

Quote of the Week #3

I do not know as much as I would like to about Eleanor Roosevelt.  I have a strong belief in doing what is right regardless of what others may say or what others may do to you.  This is how good and decent people have fought against corruption and will hopefully continue to fight.

Car Seat Check & Free Ballpark Tickets!

If you live in the Phoenix area, you may consider making an appointment by calling the number at this ad.  This event is for August 31st, 2013 and the tickets are for that night at 5:10pm.  

These events are always nice  because of the freebies, but if you just want your car seats checked out go to www.seatcheck.org or this link at www.safekids.org.  Car seats can be difficult to install.  Protecting your child is always a smart move. Don't be embarrassed if you get there and they fix something that you didn't know needed fixing. These events are to keep our children safe. 

Quote of the Week #2

There is no one that can be who you are. A lot of us unconsciously spend a great deal of time mimicking others that we admire or would like to emulate.  Clothing and hair-cuts are one thing, but when it come to personality, your best bet is to be who you are. Do not be deterred by your individuality. Do not change your sense of self to meet someone else's needs or wishes. 

Judy Garland had it right. "Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.

Quote of the Week

"A good marriage is each for each other and two against the world." - Robert Brault

Before my husband and I wed, we decided that we would also be on the same side; us against the world.  Regardless of frustrations, set-backs, opinions, we remember that we are in it together.

This has done us a world of good.  If you look out for the other person and they do the same for you, things work a whole lot better.

Owl - Line drawing

Office doodle

Carrot and Tomato drawing

Above is a simple drawing use to entertain myself and my little girl.  I am in no way proclaiming myself as an artist. This is simply my attempt to get a drawing up.  

Arthur's Baby and my babies

Growing up, we read a lot of Arthur books.  In the 1990's, PBS started a show based on the books. My brothers and I delighted in watching Arthur quite often.  I admit, we watched it well into our teens.  It is a fun, sassy show that is suited for a younger audience without pandering to it.  The books are that way too.  Lots of clever quips from D.W. - Arthur's smarty pants sister, and plenty of sweet moments from the whole family.

Tonight the bedtime story our 3 year old selected was Arthur's Baby.  In the story, Arthur learns that his parents are expecting another little one.  While his sister is pleased, he is a bit apprehensive about the thought of a small person being added to his young life.  It is a wonderful book and as an adult, the drawings of the hospital led me to memories of my own experiences.

I don't remember much about when my brothers were born or what an enormous upheaval it was to the family schedule, but I do remember what it was like with my children.  Most of all, the book made me think about my experiences as the mother bringing a child into the world. I thought about all the work and care that was taken by the nurses and staff there to ensure that me, my baby, and my family were doing all right.

Labor is never easy, but I was blessed to be able to deliver my daughter and my son without any medical concerns for myself or for them.Some people might think that after you deliver the baby, you're done and ready to start caring for them right away.  Sorry, not true!  After comes the healing.  If you are fortunate like I was, you get caring individuals who tend for you. You get incredible, fantastic, sent-from-heaven people commonly referred to as nurses.

Now, I know that it is their job,  but most nurses treat it as more than that.  The nurses that I have helped me have been so sweet.  For a while, there was nothing I could do by myself.  Having been given an epidural, and stitches in a very sensitive area, I had to keep clean.  I could not get out of bed by myself. I had to try to sleep and watch my newborn baby.  I had to seriously think about the act of peeing in order to do it!  It was crazy and I was helpless.  The nurses that took care of me were sweet and kind. They let me keep my dignity, even through the stitches, the pain, the complete confusion and exhaustion.  I will always be so grateful for the work and the effort that they give.

Arthur's baby ended up being something for which he was truly grateful.  In the end of the story, he feels the connection that he has to his new sister and isn't worried about things to come.One little bedtime book can bring back quite a swirl of memories.  Tonight, I got to hold my son and feed him his bottle as my husband read the story of a baby's birth to my daughter. My kids continue to grow and we are all gaining a rhythm together.  While my body is pretty well healed up now, I will never forget the comforting skill of the nurses that watched over me in the hospital.  In a small way, they will always be part of our family too because of the help that they have given.


Check out Mark Brown Studios for more books

Arthur's Baby - Story online

What's in a sandwich?

If you need to dress up the PP&J,  I suggest that you dress it up on the outside.  Find some fun sandwich cutters and get creative with the side dishes.  Don't forget to explain your "picture" to the kid that gets to eat it.

 After a pair of dinosaurs on her plate, my little girl would ask specifically for a dinosaur sandwich.

Quick, easy, simple: Lunch!

Making Green Slime

My daughter loves watching PBS Kids and will view episodes on the IPad repeatedly. One day, she was methodically watching Sid the Science Kid, green slime experiment video,over and over again. She had the hand movements that the children do at the very end down to, well, a science.   :)

She was bored and I wanted to attempt to cook something without interruption.  I quickly whipped up a batch per their instructions and let her have at it.

I ended up using some blue food coloring, but we still had fun.

Note to parents - test out the ratio of cornstarch to water for yourself.  I ended up adding a lot of cornstarch because the mixture was too runny.

Cleanup - As you can see from the photos, it was a gooey mess.  The mixture dried and it was just a matter of getting rid of the cornstarch mix - pretty harmless. Just watch out for the food coloring dye to  make sure you don't get it on your clothing.

Eat Yer Bell Peppers

In an attempt to get my little one to try more fruits and veggies, I turned to the internet and found this website with a wide list of Bell Pepper ideas.  The one that I thought I could use in my kitchen was the array of colorful bell pepper flowers.

I went Sprouts, like I normally do, and went out of my way to pick a peck of peppers that had 4 sections to them.   In an attempt to further gain the kiddo's interest, I added sour cream and a few pieces of shredded carrot. Shredded carrot tends to be easier for toddlers to eat. It also reminded me of the stamen part of the flower and ended up making my bell pepper garden a little more fun.

In the end, she ended up tasting a few of the peppers and eating most of the sour cream. This experiment was quite a while ago. Now she is a super champ at eating bell peppers and loves them with hummus. Making a food appealing can take a bit more effort, but I think it is well worth it. 

Saving On The Old Information Super Highway.

Beyond brick and mortar establishments, there are a number of online webites that are great for deals. The one I use all the time is Amazon. I love getting on here and finding a used movie, video game or book for a fraction of the price. I have not had many problems with getting a good quality item, however I do follow some general rules to ensure that I like what I'm getting.

1. View the description.

A seller should tell you the condition of the item. Does the cover art and guide come with the video game? Is the book worn around the edges? Amazon also has a grading system that allows the seller to decide what kind of used condition the item is in. Used- Very good and Used- Good are usually safe bets. Remember, that there is no rubric for this grading system. It is the seller's opinion.

2. Free Shipping

View the shipping price before you buy an item. If you can wait, or have other items you are buying on Amazon, it is often easy to get to that magic $25.00 amount and get free shipping. Some used items may cost the same or more with shipping. If a used items is three or four dollars below the new price, it really isn't worth it to buy it used yet, because even standard shipping will eat away your money saved. Again, if you are only buying the one item, it may be worth it. Just remember to consider shipping in your final costs. Amazon now offers used items with free shipping, so take advantage of those when you can as well.


3. Age of item

The longer you wait, the cheaper most items get. In other words, if you can wait for the latest video game for a few months, the used price will drop. This is generally not true of limited time offers or extremely popular items. Consider getting the older version if you can or buying the 1st day an item comes out or within the 1st week. Blu-rays and DVDs will usually be a few dollars cheaper the day they come out and then won't see a price decrease for a while.


4. The Instant Streaming correlation

If Netflix or Amazon Video is streaming a movie or tv series, be prepared for the price of that item to drop. This is an opportunity for you to buy the item if you would like to own a physical copy. Netflix, as well as other streaming sites, usually do not leave material available indefinitely and rarely include bonus materials found on discs. Consider this when purchasing as well.


There are a lot of other websites out there, but Amazon, seems to be the trading post, super mall, bazaar of them all. I'm always looking for more places to get the best price, so any suggestions are always welcome. What web-shops do you like to frequent?

A quick word...

The downfall of any shopper is the impulse buy. The desire to take something home without thinking about it, hits me at Dollar Tree and the 99 cent store like nothing else. It may be a cute hair tie, a book for my daughter, that solar flower that Dollar Tree likes to advertise, but don't just buy it because it is cheap!

3 Rules to prevent impulse puchasing at any price -

1. Do I need it? - Are you really going to use this thing? Need it to sustain life, clean the house, already on your shopping list?

2. Do I want it? - Has it been an item on your wish list for a while? If you are not sure, keep it in your cart for a while or wait until your next shopping trip. If you forget about it when you leave, you probably didn't want it that badly.

3. Will I enjoy it 3 months from now? 1 year from now? - Do you really want this crowding your shelf, closet, cupboard?

So, think about it before you buy it and remember that old saying, "Joy is not in things, it is in us."

Greek Yogurt

Having recently discovered the amazing properties of greek yogurt,(thick, creamy, savory, protein packed), I also discovered that it's price tends to be twice that of your average cup of cultured dairy!

Luckily, The 99 cents Only Store continually packs name brand yogurt at $39 cents a container compared to the $1.00 or so you would pay elsewhere. So far, I have seen Athenos and Yoplait available on a weekly basis. They also have regular Yoplait yogurt available often.

Usually flavors can be limited as the 99 cent store seems to carry items that were overstocked at other stores and close to their expiration date. Normally, yogurt can be eaten up to one week after it's "best by" stamp date and I usually see items within a week of even hitting that date. Despite these limitations, as some may call them, I have enjoyed a variety of good yogurt at 50-60% off the regular market price. Delicious!

A New Year's Resolution for Walmart...

Dear Walmart -


Here is a copy of the email that I sent to Walmart regarding the attitude/vibe that I got when I used their Ad Match feature for 1 item;


"Recently I went to my local Walmart on Southern and Rural in Tempe,Arizona. I had wanted to pick a few things and use price match on an item. The price match was for 1 item and was within your policy of a specific item (brand, size). I was questioned over whether or not the competing ad had expired and if I had the ad with me, even though customers are required not to bring them into the store.


While my cashier was nice, she and her manager were hesitant to match the ad at first. It was a price match for some liquid soap at 99 cents vs. your price of 1.47. I was a bit taken aback at the amount of bartering that I had to do on it. Because of this behavior, I've decided to simply shop for the item I want at this listed price I want, at another store. Please don't use price match as a selling point, if your employees will be afraid to commit to it."




Again, Walmart, if you are going to sell a feature, trust the folks that want to use it a bit more. Who would have known how long of a process it would have been if I had tried to price match several things.

Citations - 0007418226090_500X500. Digital image. Walmartimages.com. Web. 02 Jan. 2012. .

Baby's budget items

There are about a thousand different sites, stores, and programs that offer different ideas of the best prices. If you qualify (see their requirements), WIC, can be a great way to take care of your needs. Most of us are financially well enough to be on our own, so we get to hunt out the best deals and salvage items from friend, family, and co-workers.

If you are expecting, or have kids, it is always a good idea to take a look at pricing and trends in your area in order to get the best deals. Here is what I have found.

Diapers - Social butterfly moms will do well on Diapers.com. They often have codes that you can share for savings and in turn, will give you savings. For me, Amazon's subscribe and save program has made it easy for me to get a $40.00 box of Luvs for about $26.00... Store brand items can also help you save money, but I would suggest buying a smaller package before committing yourself to an item that may not work.

Wipes - Costco or Sam's Club have brands that save you a few bucks. Sam's club wipes work well for my baby. Dollar Tree has 80 wipes in a package with Care Bears on it. While these work fine as well, they do contain alcohol and may be too much for a rash or other types of sensitive baby bottom.

Formula - We all know breast -feeding is best, but if you need formula, Sam's Club and Wall- mart have brands that have the same added vitamins and minerals as bigger name brands. Powdered formula is cheaper to purchase. If you are stuck on a name brand, search websites and stores for the best deal and buy in bulk.

Food - It is easiest to make your own. Most items you make at home can be softened, cut up, or modified for your baby. If you are going to get baby food, look for sales and buy in bulk. Food clubs will most likely not have better deals than a grocery store, but you can keep your eye out for coupons.  

Clothes - Goodwill has 50% off Saturdays were you can find baby clothes. Get there early and only choose items that are in decent shape. You can also go any day of the week and shop for the items that are on sale for the day. Goodwill picks one tag color every day that has a 50% discount.  Hit up outlet mall baby stores and head for the clearance rack. Shop for clothes out of season (i.e. - Shop in the fall for summer clothes for the following year.) Some stores have coupons and stamp cards that can help you save even more. Find a friend to go with to split the minimum purchase price and make it more manageable if you need to. Also, ask the sales associates when things get marked down. Most retailers do this once a week on a particular day and the sales attendants are usually willing to share what they know.

Don't be afraid to ask friends and co-workers with young children if they know of anyone who has baby clothes that they are selling. Lots of people have a box of clothes sitting in a closet that they will just give to you if you ask, or will sell to you for a decent price.

On your search to take care of your baby, just remember to be courteous, inquisitive, and love your baby. Things don't have to be name brand to be good, they just have to do the job well.

Additional Sites for Savings

http://www.retailmenot.com/ Coupons and discount codes

http://www.amazon.com/baby - Amazon's Baby Section