Being a mom is a full time job, there’s no doubt about it. We all need a break sometimes. Just a few quick minutes for a game of solitary, or some other easy game to play on a whim. That’s why we’ve added a brand new page on Idea Queen designed to give parents the short break we all need. On our new “Games for Mom” page, you’ll find several different online games to play right in your browser – no downloading or sign up required! You might even find a few games to play along with the kids. So what are you waiting for? Go play! (Just remember to bookmark the page and come back often ). Read More →
A nice surprise may be coming your way if you own the Webkinz Pet of the Month for May 2009 – The Cocker Spaniel! This is an older favorite to many kids, and he’ll be getting all kinds of bonuses in May. If you don’t have a Webkinz yet or need to renew the year membership, this pet is perfect for adopting in May due to all the fun extras you’ll receive. Be sure to see pricing options at Webkinz Amazon Read More →
One of our grocery store chains around here is pretty well known for their nice selection of meats. It’s always fresh, and they do an excellent job with the variety too. So when I’m in need of meat (which I always am, normally I start supper with some form of meat and go from there), I’ll go to this particular store. The other day after getting the basics (chicken breast, roast, hamburger, hot sausage in various forms, steak, and a few other specialty items), I spotted turkey breasts. You know, like raw. Not sliced into sandwich meat and packaged or even a whole turkey, but just the breasts like you would see chicken. This looked fun to me. I got to thinking about why we don’t cook with turkey more often. Is it because after Thanksgiving we just don’t want anything to do with it? Or is it because it’s best...
This is part six of our Gardening Ideas Series, which talks about where to find vegetable plants online and offline. See the rest of the series in our Gardening section. While I personally buy my vegetable plants in local greenhouses, I know not everyone has that option. Which is why Nature Hills is a great place to look when buying vegetable plants online. Click the banner above for more information on their selection, including organic plants of all kinds. This year we plan to plant our three favorite vegetable plants. We didn’t start them inside because it’s just easier to buy them, and we know they’ll grow well if we do. Here are those three: - Tomatoes, Better Boys Easy to grow just about anywhere, although it’s been our experience that a new garden freshly dug up will product the absolute best crops. The first...
I’m a day late, I know, but yesterday was a bit hectic. But today I’m ready to jump into some major housework and a brand new challenge for the week. For some reason my laundry room has been a mess since I moved in. If I’m not behind on doing laundry, I’m behind on putting it away. And if all our normal clothes are put away, there’s always something stacked in the laundry room that needs attention. I’m sure I’m not alone here, so this week’s challenge is focused on the laundry room. Right now I need to get a lot of things put away, and also get the out-grown pile in bags. What kind of work does your laundry room need? Do you need to put away clothes, get caught up on laundry, or do something as simple as mop the floor? Post it here if you are joining in our weekly challenge! Read More →
While I’ve been on a major kick trying new recipes out left and right, it’s always nice to fall back to our regular menu as well. I thought I would take a day and post our tried and true favorites that have been posted on the blog over the past few years. Beef Stroganoff Always a favorite, even if it’s not the traditional form. Think of it as the Hamburger Helper version, only made from scratch and large enough to actually feed the entire family. Pizza What family doesn’t eat this on a regular basis? Although I think we make it at home MUCH more than we order it. Everyone loves what has been dubbed the “mountain pizza”. Tacos If you are making the meat right, you’ll have a hard time guessing it’s not from your favorite taco joint. In fact, when we actually do go out to a taco restaurant, my...
If you are looking for a few last minute Easter crafts over the weekend, be sure to see our full page of Easter Crafts at Idea Queen. I know I’m guilty of not pulling out the egg decorating kits just yet, but it’s something we plan to do over the weekend. On the page linked above you’ll find some additional craft ideas, including a different way to color eggs, plus some traditional crafts for Easter. Have a great weekend! Read More →
Before I jump into the recipe, let me first tell you a story. I know I’m probably among the minority here, but I’m just sick to death of the fundraising companies taking advantage of the schools. The last fundraiser our PTO did was for butter braids, despite my protest they were charging WAY too much. The butter braids were being sold for $12, and the company was giving only $5 of that to the school (IF we sold over a certain amount, which I don’t believe we did, so ended up with LESS). Yes, the company’s profit from those simple breads was at least $7 per, while the school got only $5. I thought these prices were just beyond insane, and my ranting only increased when I saw very similar butter braids at the local grocery store for $4.50. My jaw dropped, and I was even more disgusted. So I went on a quest to find an...
This is part five of our Gardening Ideas Series, which is all about finding bulbs for your flower garden. To see all the past ideas, be sure to see our Gardening Section. Perennials are probably my favorite types of flowers, since they require little to no effort on my part and can fill in anywhere in your flower garden. While some flower seeds are classified as perennials due to their ability to reseed themselves, your best bet for a beautiful flower is to buy bulbs (or get starts from friends and neighbors, of course). There are simply too many different types for us to list here, so I recommend heading over to Nature Hills Nursery, Inc. to see what they have available. Walmart is another option, although there’s a good chance they wouldn’t grow. Best to stick to trusted sources or live plants in your area. Around my yard...
Yup, it’s Tuesday again! Time to pick a chore you don’t do on a regular basis and work on it this week. Looking at the mess of clothes we’ve got, I figured this would be a good week to sort clothes. We get loads of hand-me-downs from cousins and neighbors, and it’s gotten quite out of hand. I know there’s several of these boxes with clothes that will fit my kids, I just need to find them. On the flip side of that, I need to get rid of all the clothes the kids have grown out of. So while you are putting new clothes in the drawer, get rid of the ones that they’ve outgrown. Give them to a friend, relative, or local consignment shop if you have no one else to give them to. Be sure to post your progress later this week! Read More →
