Tuesday's Tip - Removing Stains (from Your Kids)

Ok, today's tip may sound a little weird but it works.

You ever had your kids get into an art kit with markers or some bright colored lipstick that stains? Well, the same product that removes those stains from your walls will remove them from your kids as well. Just use a Magic Eraser! Permanent marker, lipstick, pen, etc. It will remove the stains from their hands and arms and legs (hehe) or anywhere else they may have written or smeared stuff on themselves. Trust me, out of desperation once I tried it and I've used it ever since.

So don't freak out when you're fixing to head out the door only to find that your little one got into a marker set while you had your back turned. Just clean them up and go :)

Tuesday's Tip - A Little Bit of Down Time

Now that school is starting back up and things are a little more hectic than they were before, make sure you are getting a little down time in each day. With homeschooling many kids of various ages, I do have my kids take a little time each day to themselves, usually while the little ones are napping. It also gives me a while to rest and take care of things I need to do, like take a nap myself sometimes. It helps me to have a better attitude as well.

My tip for today is to make sure you stop for just a few moments each day. It helps so much in making your day run smoothly.

Tuesday's Tip - Scrubbing your Bathtub

Ever had soap scum in your bathtub that eventually makes you wonder if your bathtub is an almond color or white? Well, I recently decided to do a good scrubbing of our tub and found something that worked that I hadn't thought of before. I tried a magic eraser (I have the extra power one that says it's 50% stronger). It was much easier than the Comet I was using and took less elbow grease than the Comet. Don't know why I hadn't thought of it before. I mean, even the back of the box mentions that a good use for it around the home is tubs. I suppose I always thought I needed to save them for marks on my walls (which are not showing up as much now that Joshua is getting older *yay*).

So pull out those magic erasers and use them on other tough spots around your house. They really work well.

Oh, and by the way, my tub is white (now).

Tuesday's Tip - Take Pictures

We take pictures of loved ones at holidays and visits, but I don't usually remember to take pictures of the places we visit. For instance, my Grandma's house. I lived there for seven years and then across the street until I moved on to college and then married. I never really thought about taking pictures of her house or the yard or landscape. Now that my Grandmother will never be able to return home and the thought of what will happen to the house once she's gone makes me stop and think, "Do I have any pictures of Grandma's house?" The landscaping has changed quite a bit since I was a kid and I have no pictures of it then, only memories. So this last visit we took to Grandma's I made sure I took a picture of her house and some of the landscape; the swing set and the maple tree that all the grandkids like to climb.

I'm not exactly sure what will happen to Grandma's house, but at least I have pictures of it now. My tip for today would be to remember to take pictures of your loved one's (and even your own) homes and homesteads so you will always have them.

Tuesday's Tip - Sour Towels

Do you have towels that smell clean when you wash them but as soon as they get wet smell soured and unwashed? I mean there's nothing worse than picking up a "clean" towel to dry off with after a shower only to realize it smells bad as soon as you begin to dry yourself with it. Or grab a "clean" dishcloth to wipe down a counter only to make the counter smell soured.

Well, don't throw them away and buy new ones, here's what you need to do. If they are white, then wash them in hot water with bleach and that should do the trick. If they are colored then wash them in warm water and add 1/2 a cup of vinegar to the wash along with the detergent. The vinegar will kill the enzymes that are making the towels smell bad. You may need to do this more than once, but I found that it worked after one load.

Try it. It really works.

Tuesday's Tip - Successful Charcoal Grilling

If you're like us you probably own a gas grill because charcoal grilling is much too difficult. We love the flavor from a charcoal grill, but the frustration of trying to get the charcoal hot enough without using a whole container of lighter fluid and then still being unsuccessful was enough to make us switch to gas.

Well, we have learned the secret of getting great coals every time. Go to Walmart ($9.97) or Home Depot ($14.99) or such and purchase a Charcoal Chimney Starter like the one below. Follow the instructions and viola! Hot coals that allow you to cook perfect every time. All you need is newspaper, charcoal (a little lighter fluid on top of the charcoal helps) and matches.

Here's wishing you great success in charcoal grilling!

Tuesday's Tip - Sunburn Relief

I've never tried this but I've heard it works. To find relief from a sunburn, spray vinegar on your burn and leave it on overnight. You may smell like pickles, but the next morning no more burning. Your burn will turn to a tan and no peeling.

If you try this before we get the chance, let me know how it works for you.

Tuesday's Tip - Don't Forget the Sunscreen

Yesterday, we went to Melton Hill Dam for a picnic and swimming. We wanted to make sure we were there early enough to get a good picnic spot so we left our house around 8:00 a.m. We knew we needed to head to the store for ice and sunscreen but thought we'd go ahead and set up at our picnic spot first, then Jim would make a quick run to the store.

So we got everyone there (took two trips, remember we only have one vehicle) got everything set up and then Jim headed to the store. We decided, before Jim left, that the kids could go ahead and head down to the water and get in if they wanted. Then we would just get the sunscreen on them when he got back.

Well, it didn't quite work out that way. When he got back some got sunscreen and others didn't, or at least not until it was too late.

So the moral of the story is, don't forget to get sunscreen BEFORE you head out to go swimming.

Oh, and P.S. That aloe sunburn relief gel is a great thing to have on hand too ;)

Tuesday's Tip - Let Them Explore

Yep, it's that time of year again when all the creepy, crawly creatures come out of hiding. My kids like to pick them up and bring them inside to show me. I don't mind, in fact I encourage them to explore what's around them. Although I'm not too thrilled when the cute little frog they find jumps out of their hand in my house, I do enjoy watching the race that follows.

So whether you're one of those parents that's a little skiddish about such things or not, just be open to allowing your kids to show you their finds and let them explore. After all, it's all a part of the learning process.

Matthew with his latest find.

Earthworms! :)

Tuesday's Tip - Good Advice

My tip for today is, if what you're doing is not working then be willing to try something new. Proverbs 19:20 says "Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise." Proverb 12:15 says, "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice."

I read some information yesterday that I wanted to pass on in case you may need it. It speaks of how to handle temper tantrums while on vacation (or at home). Although this was a secular article (I only say this because I usually only read Christian articles/authors) I thought it was helpful. Hope you find it helpful as well.

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/10-tips-for-handling-tantrums-on-vacation.htm

Tuesday's Tip - Soft Butter

This is something I learned from a friend when I lived in Vermont.

Do you like butter but hate how it doesn't spread very easily on nice warm bread. You don't want to use margarine because of the hydrogenated oil but like that it's spreadable. Well here's how you fix this problem.

Buy one of those cheap butter dishes at Walmart for about a dollar, I think you may be able to find them at the Dollar Tree also. Instead of using it like a traditional butter dish with the flat part on the bottom and the cover on top turn it upside down so now the flat part works as a lid. Place butter in dish and leave on counter, do not refrigerate. Now you have soft butter. As long as you use butter regularly you shouldn't have any issues with leaving it out.

I do this all the time with our butter and love having it ready to spread whenever I need it.

Butter dish with lid off

Butter dish with lid on

Tuesday's Tip - Cooling Pies (What Not to Do)

Saturday I made my first coconut cream pie. I had never made one before and was quite nervous about this one since we were having company over on Easter and they would try this pie. I had the hardest time with the meringue. You see, my electric mixer broke and I had to make it by hand (this was a long process). When I finally finished with it I was so proud of how it looked.

My beautiful coconut cream pie.

So I cooled it slightly on top of the stove and then moved it to the island counter to finish cooling. Well this was a bad idea. You see, I have a two year old that likes to get up on the counter and stand. Needless to say, he stood up there to get a snack from the cabinet and stepped right in my pie.

Pie after Joshua stepped in it.

Fortunately, it was covered with aluminum foil and his foot didn't actually go in the pie itself. So I straightened it up as well as I could and put it in the fridge. Our friends loved coconut cream pie and didn't mind that it was a little mangled. Good thing too, because it tasted great. Next time I'll be more careful.

Moral of the story, or shall I say, Tuesday's Tip would be, don't cool your pie on the counter in front of the snack cabinet when you have a two year old who likes to stand there :)

Tuesday's Tip - Snack Bowls

About two weeks ago we got the kids a special treat for dessert. I stopped by Walmart and picked up individual dessert bowls in the form of these Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis. Two bowls per container.

They are little individual cakes that only take 30 seconds in the microwave to heat and then we added a scoop of vanilla ice cream and had a special treat. After everyone was finished we stacked the bowls to throw away, but as I looked at them I realized they were the perfect size for snack bowls.

So I threw them on the top shelf of my dishwasher and they came out perfectly clean. I now serve things like Goldfish crackers, grapes, granola, yogurt, etc. in them. I'm so glad I kept them.

Snack bowl next to a regular cereal bowl.

Recycling these bowls, it's my Tuesday's Tip.

Tuesday's Tip - Simple Swing

The weather is getting better and we are now seeing warmer days. So what is something new you can give your kids do to outside? Well, we added a simple swing to a large tree and the kids want nothing more than to be outside swinging now. It doesn't take much and brings hours of joyful outside play.

Just find a random thick board

and drill a hole in the middle.

A nice sturdy branch and good strong rope.

And "Ta Da." A rope swing.

And yes, the other day,

I even got in on the fun :)

Tuesday's Tip - Magic Eraser

One thing I have recently learned is that Comet seems to clean the same things that the magic eraser cleans (for example - permanent marker from walls, stoves and washing machines, crayon marks on walls, etc.). Now I haven't tried it on everything that the magic easer works on but so far so good. One thing I've also noticed is that they both have the same texture. When the magic eraser begins to break down it feels like wet Comet in your hand, the same chalky residue. Makes me wonder how much they have in common.

So instead of purchasing magic erasers, use Comet and a wet cloth. It's soooo much cheaper and lasts much longer :)

Tuesday's Tip - Box Frames

Don't you just hate how much stuff accumulates under your couch? Especially when you have small children. Well, we had a couple of loose legs on our love seat and Jim decided to fix all the legs by making a box frame around the whole base of the love seat. In doing so we realized that this keeps things from ending up under it, and makes for a strong base that can withstand children playing on it. So now we are considering this for our couch even though it still has strong legs.

A box base, great for support and great for keeping the clutter out from under the furniture. I only wonder why we didn't think of it earlier.

Front of the love seat.

Corner

Make sure if you do this that the flap covers the base.

Tuesday's Tip - Homemade Playdoh

I know that Play Doh is cheap and many people would rather just buy it than make it, but it's just so fun to make. We go through Play Doh so quickly in my house that it really doesn't pay to buy it, especially when I have all the ingredients here to make it.

Yesterday, we made a double batch and the kids helped add color. They loved it, in fact, even the big kids got in on it. By the time we were done we had seven different colors.

It's really easy to make and if you never have you ought to try it. You can make it plain and paint (the salt dough) later or you can color it like regular Play Doh with food coloring. Keep in mind that even though these ingredients are edible the dough is not edible. Here are a couple of recipes for you to try.

Salt Dough

3 cups flour

1 cup water

1 cup salt

2 tsp. oil

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix. You can add food coloring or leave it plain. You can also bake this at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

(Taken from www.raisingolives.com)

Cooked Flour Play Dough

3 cups flour

1.5 cups salt

6 tsp. cream of tarter

3 Tbsp. oil

3 cups water

Pour all ingredients into a large pot and stir constantly over medium heat until a ball forms. Knead the play dough until the texture matches conventional play dough (1-2 minutes). Add food coloring if you want colored play dough.

Store in plastic container. Should last for at least 3 months.

(Taken from www.naturemoms.com)

Tuesday's Tip - Postpartum Rest

One of the most awesome things I learned from my midwife, Kristen, was how to properly rest and heal after delivering a baby. I use to relax a couple of days then head out for the three day baby check, stop and pick up a few groceries on the way home and try to slowly get back into the swing of the daily routine all while my body is trying to heal. It always seemed to be a long process of getting back to normal.

Well, not anymore. I now live by these rules after I come home from delivering a baby. First week - stay down (in bed), only take care of myself and the baby and only get up to go to the bathroom or take a shower. Second week - down more than up. Third week - up more than down. By following these guidelines I heal faster and can get back to normal much faster too. I find I have the energy to do what needs to be done much more quickly.

Now, I understand that not everyone can do this for various reasons, but if you can get the help and have someone bring your meals to you in bed, take care of your other children (if you have any), and keep your house picked up, you won't regret it. Let family and friends who offer to help, come help.

Trust me, follow these rules and you'll be glad you did.

Tuesday's Tip - Foam Soap Dispenser

You know those new foam soap dispensers that make the soap a foam and look like water inside? Well, if you haven't tried it, a cheap way to refill those without buying the refill is to make your own. All you need to do is take the empty container and add about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (depends on your preference) of regular liquid soap (like the Soft Soap brand, except that I buy generic). Then finish filling with water. It's so much cheaper and works great.

Tuesday's Tip - Start Early

My tip for this week is pretty much common sense, yet it is something that I have yet to accomplish. You see, I make my family Christmas stockings. I have made all my sister's families, my Mom and her family, my Dad and his wife and all of my children. Over the years I have made about 30 of these stockings and each is an original in which no two patterns are exactly the same.

Every year it seems that I am rushing to beat the clock to get the new ones done before Christmas. Every year I have succeeded, until this year. I needed to make two stockings this year, one for my niece and one for my son. I got my niece's done on time and mailed it off only to find out that it didn't arrive until after Christmas and Joshua's didn't get finished on time and he had to use a different stocking.

I always tell myself that I need to start earlier and yet never seem to. So this year I have learned my lesson. After being so disappointed at not getting the stockings done and delivered on time, I want to make sure that doesn't happen again. This next Christmas I need to finish Joshua's and start on our new guys. So my tip this week is, START EARLY. Don't be like me and wait too long.

In the meantime, and for those of you who requested it, here are some pictures of our family's stockings.

All the stocking stuffed and on the couch.

Close-ups