Corraling the Water Bottles and Travel Mugs

One of the challenges that I feel like I face in my house is a place to properly store things. Sure, I can usually find a corner, a basket, a shelf to tuck things away on, but it doesn't always feel very organized to me.

One of the items that have been a challenge to store are our reusable water bottles and insulated travel mugs. Between the ones that we have purchased overtime - with filters/with chilled cores/insulated/fits the bike cup holder/for coffee and the ones that we have gotten through different events - summer reading club/sports/store events/vacation, we have more than our fair share of reusable water bottles. On any given day, several will be occupying the dish strainer in our sink but several need to be stored. The real challenge has always been the varying heights and some of them have straws - so even if I had cupboard space, they likely would be too tall for a typical shelf.

We have what is supposed to be a coat closet at the end of our hallway near our garage door. Because of a feeling of lack of storage space and a desire to have some semblance of order, it has become more of a storage closet. It is where we keep our vacuum, we have two hanging shoe organizers, there is a shelf unit that holds our winter gear, my spring form pans, a roasting pan, my cookie cutters and up until a few weeks ago our water bottles.

Their perch on the top shelf always felt like it was one bump away from having several water bottles come clattering down to the floor.

Then, as I was wondering the web, as I so often do, I randomly came upon the idea of using an over the door shoe organizer to corral water bottles. I loved it. So, the next time that we were at Target, I picked up this inexpensive over the door shoe organizer and set out to organize my water bottles and travel mugs.

My hall closets and pantry all have bi-fold doors, so they weren't options for me for hanging it, so I settled on the back of the laundry room door. It keeps them out of the way, but still readily accessible, just a few steps from the kitchen.

I really am pleased to be able to store 24 water bottles and travel mugs out of the way. The crazy thing is, I still have 4 or 5 in my kitchen - the one I take each day to the gym, one for each of the kids to take to their near daily sports practices or games and summer camp, the one that I take coffee to work in each day and one other for those days when we have back to back sports and need more than one water per child.

In addition, now I have regained a shelf, plus some random other space where some additional mugs were tucked away, that allows me to better organize other things.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

Making Kid Friendly Chopsticks

This post is courtesy of my son. We went to lunch Tuesday at a Thai restaurant, his first visit to a Thai restaurant. When I requested chopsticks, he wanted to be able to use them too. He is not yet comfortable using chopsticks in a traditional way, but he had previously used special kid chopsticks at another restaurant. As a result, he knew what he needed to make a set of kid friendly chopsticks out of a standard set of restaurant chopsticks. He headed up to the hostess stand and asked for a rubber band. We made up a set and he used it to enjoy his lunch.

After we were done eating, he wanted to take a video of me making the chopsticks. So, based on his request, here is a picture of the three supplies that you will need - a rubber band, a set of chopsticks and their wrapper:

Here is the video that he shot of me making the chopsticks:

As you can see, you simply roll up the paper that the chopsticks come in and place that between the chopsticks on the non-eating end of the sticks, leaving just enough room to attach the rubber band. Attach the rubber band securely above the wrapper, and Voila!, chopsticks that a child can easily master and use to enjoy their meal...just like mom.

(I guess this is my first Vlog...does it matter that I didn't say a thing? He certainly had what feels like an odd angle and I feel like I look a mess, when he moved the video to show me - but all in all, I can now say that I have Vlogged.)

This post shared at Works For Me Wednesday.

Back Seat Organization

As the kids have gotten older, one of the things that we always struggled with was keeping the back seat of the car organized when we take trips (even the short ones where we don't go but an hour from home!) I wanted to make sure that they have a variety of activities at their fingertips, but don't want the stuff to be floating everywhere and getting stepped on.

A couple of years ago, as we were preparing to head out for a 16 hour drive to Walt Disney World, I knew that I had to find a solution. I decided that the best thing would be some of box that could work like a file box. It took me a while, but I found the perfect file box that fit between the two back seats and best of all, it had a lid! It is made at Sterlite and I found it at an office store.

The file box has been a great solution for us. We are able to keep a variety of coloring books, activity books, spiral notebooks, Sudoku books, dry erase boards, a box for pens and pencils, a box of crayons and dry erase crayons and more in the box. The kids will set their remotes or headphones on top of the box when they aren't in use.

And, I can easily clip the lid back on and move it out of the way.

It isn't fancy, but it works for us!

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

Where's the Hot Water?

I can't explain the why, but for some reason, getting hot water in the shower in our bedroom is nearly impossible. As I am sure many do, we would turn on the water and let it warm up while getting prepped for hopping in. Problem was, it only warmed up, never got to the point of being hot water. Even as the shower progressed, it didn't seem to get warmer. The second person showering seemed to have an advantage. By the time they hopped in, it was actually a pretty warm shower.

Over the years, I have tried several things. If I run the dishwasher or the washing machine shortly before a shower, that usually helps, but I can't always be doing this. Sometimes the water is warmer if I run our tub first and then the shower, but that feels a bit like a waste.

A while back, by complete accident, I found a solution that seems to work consistently. I have actually been able to take hot showers instead of warm showers (I am first most mornings). On that morning, I had reached in and turned on the shower and when I hopped in, it was relatively cold. I reached for the handle and discovered that I had not turned it all the way on. When I did - voila! - hot water. I thought that was nice. So, the next morning, I intentionally only turned the handle on about 3/4 of the way, got ready and moved it to fully on right before stepping in - hot water! I don't know why draining the cold water from the pipes on a warm vs hot setting allows for the overall shower to be hotter - I just know that, at least at my house in my shower - it WORKS!

Removing Nail Polish from Wood Furniture

I recently learned this tip, out of necessity. My daughter and her friend decided that they wanted to paint their nails on Saturday. I gave them paper to put underneath, but at some point they managed to either have some drip on the table or inadvertently rubbed a wet nail on the table, because on Sunday, when we were cleaning off the table, we noticed a nice green spot and streak.

The thing about a wooden table is that you don't want to remove the finish, so your choice of cleaners has to be careful. We knew that using acetone or likely even a non-acetone nail polish remover was out of the question. We tried assorted sprays including wood cleaners, to no avail.

Then, we tried steel wool grade 0000, super fine. With the lightest of touch (so as not to sand off the finish), we removed the nail polish from the table. The smear was easier to clean up, as it was a very thin amount. The drip took a little more effort. There was a slight dullness to the finish, but a quick use of some Pledge brought back the shine. Because I know where to look, I can still see the spot, but if you aren't looking for it, it is invisible.

Glad I know this trick, but certainly hope I don't need to use it again.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

Holiday Gift Guide - Christmas Cookies and Candies

One of my favorite gifts to share at the holidays are my homemade cookies. I enjoy making a variety of cookies and enjoy that I can give them as gifts to others. Each year I experiment with new recipes (this year, the new recipe was M&M Pretzel Bark. You can find many of the other recipes over on A Busy Mom of Two in the Kitchen). Assembled together on a plate (or in a bag), they are nice to share with others.

When it comes to neighbors and co-workers as a whole, my goal is to help spread holiday cheer. For my neighbors, I like to put together a small plate of baked goods to share with them. I drop them off along with the Christmas card. It allows for a quick visit, during the cold time of year where we tend to see less of each other because we aren't outside playing. I also like to take a large platter of baked goods to work to share with everyone (although, I find myself eating more than one!).

For the kids teachers, I know that they are getting a number of gifts and try to avoid filling their life with more clutter. When my kids were first in daycare, I struggled with what I was going to give their teachers, I have a friend who is a teacher and she said - no apples, no smelly stuff and no mugs. Okay, that helped narrow things down a bit, but I still wasn't sure what to give.

So, I thought, why not make a plate of tasty treats that they could eat or share with friends and family that visit during the holiday season. For the teachers I decided it would be better to give them a plate that they could use over and over again, instead of the typical paper plate I use when giving plates of cookies to neighbors. I headed out to the store and found some really cute little square plates.

They were winter themed, not just holiday themed. I piled them with our homemade holiday cookies and candies,

>placed them in food gift bags and tied them with a tag.

I got a nice of lot compliments and thank you notes from the teachers. I've had teachers who didn't have my kids express disappointment that they didn't have one of the kids in their class at Christmas, so they could get the holiday treats. Now that the kids are older, they help me with baking the cookies and making the candies. Which, of course, makes it an even better gift for them to give to their teachers, because they helped make it. Homemade treats and a fancy plate as a Christmas gift for teachers works for me.

I also have started to use treat bags to allow me to share more cookies with more people. It is great to get to bake (something I really enjoy) and to share with others (especially those that have expressed appreciation because they don't or don't have the time to bake).

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

DIY Tinkerbell Slippers

On Thanksgiving, my daughter spent part of the afternoon relaxing and watching Secret of the Wings. After watching the movie, she decided that she needed to have shoes like Tinkerbell's to wear with her Tinkerbell dress. I was out running to CVS when the movie ended and my husband drew her a shoe on green paper that she cut out. When I came home, she told me all about the shoes.

After looking at her cut out, I had a plan in my head on how we could make a simple pair of slippers, so I asked her if she wanted to make a pair of Tinkerbell slippers that she could wear. Of course, she wanted to run right out and get the fabric and cotton balls to make them. I told her that we would have to wait and go on Friday to get the materials. After I finished my Black Friday shopping, I came home and we had lunch and headed back out to get materials for Tinkerbell slippers.

At Walmart, we were able to find a soft green brushed flannel material and matching thread and some white pompoms, although not as big as we had hoped. We also grabbed some puffy paint to create a non-slip bottom for the slippers.

When we came home, I pulled out my sewing machine and got started. Using the paper cut out and her foot as a guide, I cut a square of fabric along the fold.

I sketched in a pencil line to reflect the general shape that I needed to acheive for the slipper. I started by sewing the back. I then sewed the top seam. I flipped them inside out and had her put them on. I could tell that I was too tall in the toe, so we took them off and I sewed it a little lower. To get a more 'boxy' toe, I snipped the end of the slipper and flattened them so that I could sew a toe seam. Once we were happy with the first slipper, I used it as my guide to create the other one. Then, we added the puffy paint in designs of my daughters choice to the bottom of the slipper and allowed it to dry overnight. Then, I grabbed a needle and sewed on the pompom.

At first, she had reservations about them, but once they were done, she loved them. They were a simple and quick project that we could work on together. Of course, in the process of modeling the slippers with her Tinkerbell dress, we learned that the dress was getting too small. So, now we need a Tinkerbell dress to go with our slippers. (sounds a bit like a Laura Numeroff 'If You Give a Mouse A...' book!)

DIY projects work for me!

Getting Shoes to Fit

I will admit it, I hate buying shoes. It's not that I don't like shoes, it's that I really struggle to find a pair that fits. So much so in fact, that when I find a pair that does fit, I have been known to buy multiple pairs - in the same color, but also the same shoe in several colors. I look with envy at the really fun and cute shoes that others wear. I want to be able to wear them too, but frankly, comfort comes first.

Recently, when a pair of shoes that I loved developed a hole (one of the seams simply came unstitched), I was forced to pick up a new pair of shoes on short notice. Of course, that same style was no longer available - you better believed I checked that first. I found a pair of shoes that seemed comfortable and they were leather, the problem was that the size 7 1/2 was a little tight and the 8, I slipped out of. I liked the way that the shoe fit and cushion of the insole. Despite being a little tight, they were the best that I had found.

I tried stretching them by wearing them with sport socks around the house in the evening - I am sure it was a sight to behold. This method of extended wear with bulky socks has worked in times passed, but with this pair, they just didn't seem to actually stretch though.

So, I decided to try something I had read once. The next morning, when I was drying my hair I took a break of drying my hair and aimed the hair dryer into the shoes - warming them on the inside. Then, I slipped them on with a pair of white socks, which are slightly thicker than the socks I wear with dress pants. For extra measure, I let the dryer blow over the tight spots for a few minutes. Then, I allowed them to cool.

When I finally took them off and put them back on with just dress socks, they fit wonderfully. The heat from the dryer allowed them to give and stretch just enough - and in just the right spots. It is so much better than having settled for the larger shoes and dealing with the inevitable blisters that would have developed from wearing them or trying to wear the shoes around the house for several days trying to get a little bit of stretch out of them.

Now that I know how wonderful this works, and how much quicker than trying to break them in for several hours, I might just try this trick on every new shoe before I wear them. Of course, if they aren't 100% leather, I'm not sure that it will work as well, but I will likely still try it.

Using a hair dryer to get shoes that fit, works for me!

Organization - One Space at a Time

When it comes to organizing things and getting rid of things, for me, the only way, is one space at a time. There is something so daunting about wanting to even do a full room, let alone a full house. I like to celebrate the little victories...they keep me moving to the next challenge.

By focusing on one space, you can organize and declutter with minimal time investment. If I get done with a space and I still have time, I can choose to move to the next challenge or be satisfied that I accomplished the task at hand.

This weekend, I decided to clean out the utensil and gadget drawer. It had been a while since I gave it a good once over. I decided that there were duplicate tools that I simply don't use because I find one to be easier than an other. I knew that there are only so many measuring cups that a person can use - even during the upcoming cookie season. The last time I had given it a thorough look was when I moved some of my more frequently used utensils to a tool organizer.

As I looked at the drawer, I wondered about how those spoons and spatulas that are in my tool organizer once resided in this drawer.

I started by emptying the drawer. I started pulling out things that I knew that I didn't use. I checked to make sure that things still worked. I had two sets of inserts for a Pampered Chef Cheese Grater - turns out that they must have resized and the old set didn't actually fit into the new one correctly. So, I got rid of those. I had extra sets of measuring cups, so I chose the two nicest sets and removed the rest.

As I was starting to put things back in the drawer, I recognized that a couple of organizing baskets would help out. I made a stop when I ran my errands and picked up a few. I wasn't sure which combination would work best, so I got more than I needed - knowing it would be easier to return than to try to run back out in order to complete the project.

I wound up using three of the five organizers that I bought and easily returned the others while running some errands the next day.

I was able to pull out a small box of stuff that I can donate and I feel like my drawer is back in control. It hold many awkwardly shaped items, so it still may look 'unorganized' but now there is (for the most part) only a single layer and I can find everything easily since things aren't buried.

Works for Me!

You can also see my post on organizing dresser drawers here.

Organizing a Dresser Drawer

My kids always seem to complain that they can't find this or can't find that in the drawers. Inevitably, I would go to their room, find their drawer completely torn apart and just under the last shirt that they had pulled out was the shirt that they were looking for.

Another challenge that we faced is that the drawers were very full. It seemed that every time we went to put laundry away, there was no room for the clean stuff in the drawer.

Also, to ensure that everything was worn and not forgotten, I was constantly pulling out stacks of clothes to redeposit the wash underneath. Perhaps this was a contributing factor to my first issue.

I felt like their had to be a better way. And, one day, I found it. Place the clothes in the drawer vertically instead of laying them down.

You will have to take my word on the before, because I did not take a picture.

To make the clothes fit, I folded them in thirds and then to thirds.

I stacked them and then placed them in the drawer, standing up.

Now, when I bring up the clean laundry, I can slide it in at the back of the drawer. The kids can see all of their clothes and don't have to dig through everything to find that one shirt that they want to wear. Amazingly, it also seems that more clothes fit in the drawer.

This new way of putting away clothes works for me and my kids.

Natual Looking Make-up

I don't wear much make-up. Never have. I had the foundation I bought for my wedding for several years and finally threw it away because it was so old. So, when I do wear make-up, I don't want it to look like I'm wearing make-up - I want to make sure that it looks natural.

I achieve this by choosing neutral colors. I choose a blush that is a light pinky-peach color, that mimics the natural coloration visible in my cheeks after playing hard. I choose a lip color that is a deep pink type of color - something that doesn't stand out.

When it comes to foundation, I learned a trick a few years ago that helps me achieve a natural, dewy appearance. I apply my lotion and foundation at the same time. I put five dots of each on my face - forehead, each cheek, nose and chin. Then, I smooth it all in. I find that the lotion helps me achieve a thin, even coverage with the foundation and having the lotion blended it gives it that dewy look. I don't remember who taught me this trick, but I find that I am able to succeed at a natural looking appearance when I apply it this way.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

Parent - Child Time

Sometimes as a mom of two, I feel like I am constantly on the go and have little time to really spend with the kids. Sure, I am with them (or near them, at least) most of the time, but being with them is different than spending time with them.

We have many opportunities to do things as a family. Whether a trip to an amusement park, a baseball game, a walk, a family game night, or simply dinner - there are many things that we do together as a family. We have a great time, but it doesn't give them the individual attention that they want.

When my daughter was first born, I started a tradition with my son. I would take a day (usually just an afternoon when he was younger) and it would be about us doing something - just the two of us. We would go to a baseball game with a friend and her son. We would catch a movie. We would go to lunch. We would go to the park. The activity itself was not important, the important thing was that it was his time alone with me. We would have a special day every couple of months. It was nice, with my daughter still in daycare, I didn't have to worry about whether my husband was traveling - I knew that I had childcare for her.

My husband did something similar. We signed my son up for Storytime and my husband would take him to dinner and then to Storytime, while my daughter and I spent time home alone. I valued that time alone with her as a baby. It was time that I simply had with my son, because he was the only one.

When my son reached school age, the days became more focused to summer. We would occasionally do a weekend, but usually the special days were extra special because they were during the week when everyone else was going about their normal routine.

Of course, we started to have the special time with my daughter too. So, now we have special Mommy-Daughter, Mommy-Son, Daddy-Daughter and Daddy-Son days.

On the most recent Mommy-Son day, we started our day with breakfast at Bob Evans, using his free birthday meal coupon. Then, we fit in a quick game of miniature golf - hoping the whole time that it wouldn't rain on us. Then, we headed to the toy store and spent his gift card that they sent him for his birthday. Next was lunch at Steak n Shake. We finished our day with a round of laser tag. It was a fun day, full of activities that he had chosen.

No matter the activity, it is just fun to spend a day playing alone with my children. Allowing each of them to have that special alone time with me.

This works for me!

Finding Time to Exercise

When I was younger, my schedule seemed so much more flexible and there seemed to be more time in a day. I would get up, go to work early, come home, go to the gym, have dinner and go out with friends. Now, I wonder, how did I find the time to do all of this and not be exhausted.

My schedule is so much more busy these days. And, really, let's be honest, it's not just my schedule, but my husband's, my son's and my daughter's schedules that contribute to my busy life. One of my goals is to be more active and healthier. In order to achieve this goal, I need to have activity (exercise) as part of my daily routine. Sure, I get some level of exercise when I am playing ball with the kids, going for walks around the block, gardening, etc., but that is not consistent enough to achieve results.

I have tried to take classes before, but I can't commit to a specific date and time for very long. It seems that if I sign up for a class on Tuesday nights, the schedule will be clear for a couple of weeks and then I will have several weeks in a row where it doesn't work and then, it is so hard to get back. I recently found a Zumba class that works for me. With 5 classes available at one location and an option of classes at an alternate location on other nights - it is just flexible enough that I can usually make it to a class a week.

Again, one, maybe two, classes a week is not enough to achieve results. So, I had to find a time that would work consistently for regular workouts. I chose the morning. Sure, it is a challenge some days to get up at 5 am, but it is the one time of day that is consistently conflict free. The only plans that any one else in my family has at that time is SLEEP!

I actually have found that I enjoy the silence of working out in the morning. Whether I walk in the neighborhood, run at the track or pop in a DVD (typically reserved for the cold of winter and the wet of rain), there is generally silence while I am working out. It gives me time to decompress, to think, to work through things in my mind, to plan out my day and just to breathe in my surroundings. When I am out and about, I will occasionally see others, but it is generally in passing and results in not much more than a 'Hi'. Otherwise, my senses are filled with the world around me - the birds chirping, the gentle breeze, the painted sky of sunrise, the ominous clouds of a coming storm, the smell of fresh cut grass (if you can get past the noise of the mower and the smell of gas @ 6 am - they mow early at the track). You can check out my morning view here.

The other benefit of mornings is that I feel so energized for the rest of my day. There is something about getting your blood pumping that just keeps you going, makes you more alert.

Plus, I can start a load of laundry before I start my workout and switch it to the dryer before I head up for my shower - allowing me to get things done, while I work out.

Working out in the morning, works for me.

Selling Kid's Stuff

It used to be that I thought a Garage Sale was a great way to get rid of extra stuff around the house, but especially kid's clothes and toys that had been outgrown. For years, we have been having garage sales, even before we had kids. I think that it is a love that I have from my own childhood and helping my mom when she had a garage sale.

I know that I, myself, when I was expecting my son and then in the early years of being a mom, would go to a lot of garage sales to get kids things. Some of my favorite dresses that my daughter wore, her princess umbrella, some favorite toys, and many outfits for my son were all picked up as bargains at local garage sales. As time has passed, I find that I am simply too busy to make it to more than a randomly passed garage sale. But, when I do get to go, I generally am able to find a gem or two.

For some reason, this year, the neighborhood garage sale was a big disappointment. We made a fraction of what we normally do and I felt like I was packing up almost as much as I put out for sale. I had even placed an ad, hoping that calling attention to the things we had would draw in more interested patrons. The only thing that kept it from being a big disappointment was spending the day hanging out with my friend.

The good news is that I seem to have found two alternatives for selling kid's stuff and outlets for household goods too.

Last year, after my garage sale, I stumbled upon an online forum of local moms. There was a group on the forum that was all about buying and selling kid's stuff. I started to watch the boards and when someone posted that they were looking for a specific size, I would respond and send them pictures. I had a good amount of success moving bags of clothes at a time, versus the couple of items here, couple of items there movement at a garage sale. Unfortunately, that group was disbanded and the replacement forum only seemed to last a few months. Since that time, I was introduced to a new forum, that is based on Facebook. Again, it is all about advice, buying and selling kid's stuff. I am once again able to move through good amounts of clothing in quick fashion.

I also discovered Little Red Wagon, which I didn't participate in, but liked the idea. When I saw a sign advertising a community kid's stuff sale, for a much cheaper rate, I decided to join in. Essentially, it was an indoor garage sale, shopped by people that were only looking for kid's stuff. I was able to make more money and move more toys and clothes in those 4 hours than I generally would make at a garage sale. It was such a success that I have already reserved my spot for next year.

I'm likely to continue to participate in the community garage sale, but I'm thinking I might not put as much effort into it going forward. I think that I am getting more bang for my buck with the use of mom's forums and just kid's stuff sales.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

Leftover Fish

I have always enjoyed eating fish (and other seafood for that matter).

Of course, when I was younger, my perspective on fish was more limited than it is today. Back then, it consisted of Long John's Silvers, McDonalds, canned tuna and battered Walleye that my uncles would bring for the family cookout.

Somewhere along the way, I have learned that fish is so much more. It is a meal that I enjoy eating when we go out. I even have gotten more adventurous in preparing it at home.

I'm not sure why preparing fish was always so scary to me, but it was. The kids are pretty good about eating most of the fish dishes that I make. I have several recipes for preparing fish inside, but I really think my favorite way to prepare it is to simply grill it. We do this with Marlin, Catfish, MahiMahi, Tuna and occasionally Salmon (although, my husband doesn't care for salmon, so this is when he has other plans).

One of my challenges has always been what to do with leftover fish. I have a memory in my head of my mom broiling fish when I was younger. All I remember is the smell. It is the same smell that results from microwaving the fish to reheat it. As a result, I usually try to only buy what I know we will eat and figure we can have a little more side if we are a little short.

Monday night, we grilled MahiMahi for dinner. It was delicious. I had bought the individually sealed fish bags in the grocers freezer (gives me more menu flexibility than fresh fish - which I only buy the day I am preparing), they each indicated that there were two servings. I didn't open the bags before thawing them and was surprised when I went to prepare the fish and found three filets in each pack. Of course, that meant that I wound up with two extra pieces of fish. I didn't want to throw away the fish, so I started thinking, what could I do with the leftovers?

Then, it occurred to me, why not eat like I would tuna. I didn't mix it up like I do tuna salad, instead, I toasted my bread added some mayo and pickle relish and the fish from the fridge. It was delicious and moist and a wonderful break from the typical packed lunch. I am not sure why it had never occurred to me before. Of course, other preparations beyond a simple season/marinade and grill might not work for a fish salad style sandwich, but this definitely worked.

I still will try to only buy what we need, but at least now I have a way to eat the leftovers and won't have to worry about wasting them.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

Navigating Technology with Children

Yesterday, I joined my son on his class field trip. Since the bus was leaving right after school started, I drove him to school. After dropping off my daughter at daycare, we were getting back in the car to head to his school. My son started to get in on the 'wrong' side of the car. I made a comment that in a few years, when she no longer uses a booster seat, he'll easily be able to sit on either side of the car. Then, I said but by then, you will almost be old enough to sit in the front seat, I think. It's either 12 or 14. His response was, "I think it's 12, the year before you can have Facebook."

As a parent, one of the challenges that I face is when to let kids have what technology (and where)?

When I was a kid, I can remember that my parents tried to keep things 'even' and our 'big' Christmas gifts aligned to this approach. I can remember my frustration with the fact (seems rather minor now, but it was a big deal to me at the time) that I got my stereo when I was a freshman and got my CD player as a junior, yet my brothers got both as freshman. What I failed to recognize is that although the CD player was 'newer' technology. It wasn't yet a standard part of packaged stereo systems when I got my first stereo, but by the time my brothers got them you couldn't buy a packaged stereo without a CD player. Not only that, my first CD player was a single disc player and they got changers.

With the way that technology is evolving today, I expect to have that type of experience amplified in my children's life.

For me, one challenge is that unlike you get a bicycle at age 5, because that is when I got mine and that is when you are physically ready to learn the mechanics of riding, there aren't clear guidelines or experiences in my life to support what is the right age for technology. The first family computer at my house was one that my dad had brought home from work. I seem to recall that it was around my junior or senior year that we got it. I went off to college with no computer and relied on my roommate's computer and the computer lab for writing papers and checking e-mail (of course, only my classmates had e-mail - so I didn't get many - as an aside, I had over 80 e-mails come in while off from work yesterday to join the field trip). I got my first cell phone when I was working as a co-op. The plan didn't come with minutes and I paid the monthly fee to provide the safety of having a phone for my 1 1/2 hour drive from my hometown to my apartment for work.

The field trip yesterday made me think even more about it. There was an hour long bus ride for the field trip and many kids brought along 'technology' to pass the time. I saw Gameboys, iPods, iPads, and iPhones in use by this group of third graders. They were playing games and singing songs, fully entertaining themselves with their technology.

The reality is that our kids are growing up surrounded by technology - not just at home, but at school too. I remember there being one computer in my sixth grade class, I remember learning to program the TRS80 in junior high math class (there was one lab), I learned to type on a electronic typewriter (somewhere between manual and word processor), and I remember blue ditto copies of papers and overhead projectors using clear sheets that the teacher wrote out ahead of time. Now, they have computers at every level. There are a few in the classroom and a computer lab and a mobile computer lab. The teachers have touchscreen smart boards that they project on.

I want to balance the simple of being children with the reality that they need exposure to technology to be caught up with classmates. I like that technology can give me peace of mind. I like that my son, with his iPod and access to his friend's wireless network is able to send me iMessages to 'check in' when he is at a friend's house, so I know that things are okay. I want to take advantage of the great learning applications that are out there, but balance that with keeping them safe from all of the bad stuff that is lurking out there.

So, when is the right time to allow children access to technology? When is the right time to allow them to have their own technology? When is the right time to allow them to 'take' their technology with them (to their room, to a friend's, to school, on the go)?

So far, we have made a few moves in the world of technology, but I expect many more questions will come up soon.

The kids share a laptop that sits in our family room. It is a place for them to play games, research a report for school, and send e-mails to Grandma and Grandpa.

The kids each have a digital camera that they got when they were about 4. It is interesting to see what they capture on their cameras and to see things from their level. The nice advantage here is that we don't have to print any of them - like we did when I was a kid. Their cameras also allow them to capture video. Watching their videos also shows a lot about them and their viewpoint.

We gave them their first CD player that they could use when they were about 5. It is a little 'boombox' style player that sits on the bookshelf. We gave them books with read-along CDs to go with it.

My son got his first iPod a few years ago and when it broke, was upgraded to an iPod Touch. Now, he has a docking station with speakers so that he can listen to his iPod now instead of CDs. I think that he was seven.

The first question at hand is when does my daughter get her first iPod. Does she get his old one and he get a new one or do we buy the new one for her?

When do we allow them to have a cell phone? Do we have them take our house phone (which is a cell phone hooked up to an xLink), when they need it or do we get them their own? This is a mix of responsibilities - not losing a costly cell phone, using the phone responsibly, etc.

Do we allow them to join Facebook at 13, as long as we are their Friends?

Do we stick with a family room approach for the laptop or do they eventually get their own laptops or are allowed to take the shared one up to their rooms?

What has worked for you? How do you navigate technology with your children?

This post shared at Works For Me Wednesday - although I guess this is more of a backwards Works for Me since I am seeking input.

Quick Prep Meals

As the kids are about to start their spring sports season, I am once again preparing to include many quick prep meals in my weekly menu plan. Eating dinner together as a family on as many nights as possible is important to me. During sports season, with practices and games it can make this a little more challenging. This is when I turn to quick prep meals (and the occasional picked up pizza).

At our house, we seem to have a mix of conflicts.

Some practices/games start early in the evening and we plan our dinner for after the game. On those days, we start by grabbing a small snack before the game/practice. Generally, I try to encourage them to have yogurt or a granola bar. Something that will give them a bit of energy without being too much food. Then, I plan a dinner that can be made after the practice/game, while the kids shower. Some of our favorites (and my approach) are:

Tacos - by cooking the meat and prepping the toppings the night before, I can quickly warm the meat in a skillet and set out a taco bar for everyone to enjoy a satisfying meal.

Chicken Caesar Salads - if I plan the menu right, we can have grilled chicken for dinner one night and follow it up with Chicken Caesar Salad the next night. By using bagged salad, the preparation is quick and the meal satisfying.

Hamburgers on the Grill - we use the frozen, premade burgers. They are quick to prepare and topped with lettuce and tomato make a quick and tasty meal.

Pizza - we pick it up on the drive home. We have a shop that does $5 large pizzas, so it is still pretty economical.

Breakfast for Dinner - whether the Tyson Breakfast Bowls that I shared earlier this week or pancakes or scrambled eggs, breakfast seems to be a quick prep meal.

Some practices/games start later in the evening and we plan our dinner before the game. This allows us a lot more flexibility. Clearly, we don't want to eat as we are rushing out the door and we need to make sure that we aren't eating too heavy that the kids feel sick while they are running around. Some of our favorites (and my approach) are:

Baked Chicken - whether we are using the new Fresh Take option from Kraft or simply baking chicken with barbeque sauce, my husband, who is home to get my son off the bus, will put the chicken in the oven so that it is ready to go on the table when my daughter and I walk in the door. A quick side of vegetables or a side salad, round out the meal.

Casseroles/Lasagne/Enchiladas - I prep the dish the night before or in the morning and leave it in the refrigerator. My husband can put it in the oven at the right point for us to enjoy a warm meal when we get home.

Freezer meals - frequently casseroles/lasagne/enchiladas are freezer meals, but there are other meals that I will put up in the freezer that will allow for quick prep. Meals like Chicken Gravy over Biscuits, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Chili, and Sloppy Joes are meals that are ready to heat and eat in my freezer most of the time.

Of course, the options for after practice/game work was well.

I leave the 'fancy' meals for the days where we have more time.

Having a variety of quick prep meals allows my family to enjoy dinner together even when the schedules are busy with sports. This works for me.

Removing Furniture Dents from Carpet

I read about this a long time ago and wanted to check it out for myself. For the past couple of years, my daughter's doll house was kept in our dining room. In part, it was so I could keep an eye on her and in part, because she wouldn't go downstairs to the playroom on her own. Well, we finally moved it downstairs a few weeks ago. I feel like my dining room has doubled in size! It is amazing, how that little house seemed to shrink the space. When we moved it, there were dents in the carpet. After vacuuming, they were still there. So, remembering that you could use ice to remove furniture dents from the carpet, I decided to give it a try.

the dents:

added ice:

as the ice melts it lifts the carpet:

after vacuuming:

I'd say that this trick worked for me!

Pudding Pops

I have a weakness for pudding. I think it started at a young age. My grandma would always tell the story of me asking for pudding and her not understanding what I was asking for. When Grandma would make pudding, she used an egg beater. I can still remember the sound that it made as she mixed up the pudding. As with anytime that she was in the kitchen, you would hear her humming a soft tune while she was making it too.

Now, I find myself buying pudding from time to time, simply to have on hand for a quick and easy dessert or treat. The other week, when I cleaned out my pantry, I found a few boxes tucked in back and created a cookie that was super tasty with the pudding. I also had a few boxes of cook'n serve pudding that had been purchased by accident one time for a recipe (nothing wrong with Cook'n Serve, but generally if you are using pudding in a recipe, it needs to be the instant variety).

The other day, I decided it was time to use up that pudding. I had some excess milk in the refrigerator (some weeks we easily go through 2 gallons, others we barely get through one), so it seemed like the right time to make it. As I was making it, I was suddenly inspired - pudding pops!

When I was a kid, I can remember Bill Cosby doing commercials for Pudding Pops. I'm not sure if they were new or had been around for a while at the time, I just remember that he was the spokesperson and did the commercials. Of course, I also remember that I rather enjoyed eating the frozen, creamy pudding treats and figured that the kids would too.

I grabbed my popsicle making tubes (what exactly do you call those?) and filled them with the warm pudding. I put in the sticks and set them in the freezer. The kids were very excited to try them the next day. Of course, they feel now that we should have them more often.

So, when I made the German Cream Puffs this weekend, there was so much Vanilla Cream left, that I decided to put it in the popsicle molds and make pudding pops (cream pops?) out of the leftover cream. The drawback of cooled pudding/cream is that the finished pop has more 'bubbles' in it, but they still taste just as sweet.

Not only is it a fun to make treat, but it is a great way to use up milk so it doesn't go bad.

They were so good, that now I'm thinkking of finding a recipe for using pudding to make ice cream too!

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

Making Your Tiled Floor Look New Again

A while back, I guess it's probably been a month ago now. We had our friend, and handyman, over to look at a few projects that we were thinking about doing to get a feasability review and a cost estimate. We find this an important step, as there are things that we don't think about - like load bearing walls and projects that just would be way more than we want to invest.

After we looked at, and determined what we could / couldn't do of the projects that we called about, we started to talk about flooring. When we moved in, we chose carpeting for the dining room. It really was a financial decision that I question every day, as it will cost us more to change it out than it would have to do it in the first place. We know that one of our next projects is to replace the carpeting in the dining room with hardwood. I also mentioned that ideally, had I to do it over again, I would have put hardwood in the dining room and the foyer, reserving the tile for only the kitchen.

This comment got us onto the topic of tile floor and how dirty the grout was looking and how it never seemed to become fully clean and back to its original color. Our handyman said that he had recently cleaned his grout using Clorox Cleanup with Bleach. He said that he worked in small sections, spraying it on and allowing it to sit for a few minutes and then scrubbing and rinsing before moving onto the next section.

In cleaning out the cabinet in our bathroom, the first of many clean-out/organize sessions I have had lately, I found a partial bottle of Clorox Cleaner with Bleach and decided to do a test patch that was in a fairly dirty area. We loved the results.

So, the next time my husband was out, he picked up another bottle and a scrub brush and set out to clean the grout. It is amazing the difference that it made. Somehow the original, lighter color of the grout makes the room visually seem bigger. It is so nice to have a 'like new' looking floor.

(not sure why the color looks so different here!)

This is one cleanup tip that we will bank and use again and again.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.