Idea Queen Tips & News

Have you joined CafeMom yet? If not, now is the time to do it!

Not only did the site get a makeover, but they’ve added some really neat features. Now available are “widgets” which are cool additions you can add to your profile (if you are active on Myspace you’ll know exactly what I mean). I found them under “My CafeMom” and currently playing the Road Trip Scavenger Hunt. It’s an absolute BLAST!

Another widget I spotted that I simply must try out was “Sweet Treats”, where you bake virtual goodies and then get the recipe for them. How cool is that?

So anyway, hop on over to CafeMom and get yourself signed up!

Looking around my house I see a cluttered mess. Since we are remodeling (I know, reminding you all of that fact is getting old), there are boxes stacked everywhere. If not for the “lived in” look in other parts of the house,  you’d swear we just moved in.

Some of this I can’t blame on the construction though. For example, there are two very large bins with stuff the kids bring home from school sitting in the hall near the bathroom. Do those really need to be there? No, not really.

This week I’ll be working on clearing my hallways and corners, making sure things are put away once and for all. I have a storage room, so really there shouldn’t be things just sitting out (the storage room is either a very small bedroom or a very large closet with a whole lot of shelves). I’ll hope you’ll be joining me this week too!

We got an invitation the other day for a pool party at the local public pool. Nothing fancy, with “no gifts” printed right on the paper.  Now what was different about this particular birthday party is that it’s being celebrated a whole 2 months early.

You see, the soon-to-be 8yr old boy isn’t actually having a birthday until September. But he loves to swim, and loves to hang out with his friends. Since his birthday is clear at the end of September, it’s not as easy to have a pool party. So he came up with the idea to have the party now and not really celebrate later.

Mom and dad of course agree, because it’s  such a simple idea. I’m in love with it too, since instead of spending money on a gift I’m putting that money into a day pass at the pool for me and my kids. His parents get to allow him the chance to have a “big” party with lots of friends, without the hassle of having boatloads of kids running around the house (this idea has always scared the heck out of me!).

This idea got me thinking though - where else could you be doing parties like this? Clearly stating no gifts, but having parents pay into the party itself. I mean it might rub some parents the wrong way, but really if you think about it, it’s a lot better deal. Not that we don’t want to buy a gift for another kid other than our own, but we’d much rather give something to our own.

If you look around your own community you might be surprised what you find. Trips to the zoo, pool, and other community activities might be an option for a great birthday party location for your kids.

This week’s Frugal Friday tip may seem a bit strange to you. After all, buying in bulk can usually save you quite a lot of money over time. You are right, it can. But only if you are buying certain things.

Non-perishable such as paper towels and canned goods are great things to buy in bulk. Certain foods and items with expiration dates are not. For example, we do not buy gallons of milk because we can’t use it all before it goes bad. Granted the half gallons are not as cost effective, but they are when we would be dumping the rest of a gallon.

Stocking up on certain snack foods just because they are on sale isn’t usually a good idea either, since we tend to eat more if it’s sitting in our kitchen. In the past I’ve bought several boxes of toaster pastries when they were on sale, but the kids had them gone in no time.

Anyway, while it’s good to buy some things  in bulk, watch carefully how quickly it disappears or you won’t be saving anything.

We call this particular recipe “Half spaghetti”, because it doesn’t use spaghetti sauce but it does use tomatoes. It’s almost like a very thin spaghetti sauce, which is why we call it “half”.

All you need to do is cook the spaghetti like you normally would, drain, then add a can of Italian diced tomatoes.  These cans are generally cheaper than spaghetti sauce, which is why this recipe is a cheap version of “real” spaghetti.

Enjoy!

Since the farmer’s market is today, I’ll most likely be wandering up there to get some home grown potatoes for supper tonight. Last year we picked up small red potatoes and made a very easy dish that was absolutely delicious.

All you need is butter (we use sticks) and dried rosemary. Just cut the potatoes into cubes (they don’t need to be very small), and bake at 400* for about 30-40  in a casserole dish. Make absolutely sure the potatoes are done though - you may need to cook them a bit longer.

That’s it! Pretty easy huh?

Are your kids spoiled like mine are? If so, you probably have toys scattered EVERYWHERE.  Well this week I’m going to do something about it.

Since we are still remodeling, I’ve got to get the kids rooms completely empty very soon (yes they are STILL in my room, but hopefully almost done).  We’ve been collecting boxes from family members so that all toys can find a home. If we have time (and the energy), we’ll also do some sorting, putting all similar toys in the same box (we already do this with several things - my daughter’s Littlest Pet Shop, my son’s cars, and a few other things).

In addition to boxing everything up (stuffed animals included), we’ll be throwing some things away or giving them away. Seriously we have just way too much stuff and it’s time to downsize a bit. Even clean my daughter only has a path to her bed, so it’s really time to get rid of some toys and really organize.

Should be a fun week, but it’s a perfect job to do while the kids are out of school!

We are officially in the middle of summer, and with summer comes ice cream! If you have an ice cream maker, now is the perfect time to pull it out. And don’t even bother with plain old vanilla (as tasty as homemade vanilla is) - there are MUCH more flavors you can try out.

This very yummy ice cream machine recipe comes from our ebook. If you need more recipes, be sure to check it out!

BROWN SUGAR PECAN
1 cup milk
1 scant packed cup brown sugar
4 egg yolks
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup pecan pieces

Heat the cream. milk and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot. place the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk briefly. Still whisking, slowly pour in about 1 cup of the hot liquid. When the mixture is blended, slowly pour it into the liquid in the saucepan, whisking constantly. Cook over heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Be sure not let the mixture boil at any time or will curdle. strain into a clean bowl and cool thoroughly. Stir in the nuts. Pour the mixture into the bowl of the machine and freeze.
Makes 5 cups.

Enjoy!

The Scholastic Store.
is currently offering free shipping on all orders over $39. Just use the code: SMRAFF.

This is a little short notice because the sale ends in 4 days, so hopefully you catch this before it’s over. If you are looking for summer reading or getting ready for school, this is a great deal to take advantage of.

Hurry! Ends July 15th!

Today I thought I would post something a little bit different. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to be “when I grow up”. While I do enjoy running websites (most days), it’s not exactly what I thought my adult career would be.

Think back to when you were a kid. Do you remember how fantastic your imagination was? Sure we got bored once in awhile, but never for that long. We could think up hundreds of different games to play. During the summer you were probably outside for hours at a time, playing games with friends or just by yourself.

We also didn’t have the fear we’ve got now. Remember the first time you climbed to the top of a tree? I sure do! If you tried that now you probably wouldn’t get too far, since you’d probably be afraid of falling. But we didn’t fear that as kids, even if we did have a few close calls or branches break under our feet.

The point here is when we were kids, the sky was the limit. With no fear and loads of imagination, we thought of all kinds of things we wanted to be when we grew up. We never thought any idea was silly, nor did we think for a second we’d fail.

So what happened? When did our imaginations fade and fear creep in? Why aren’t we doing what we dreamed of as a child? I often wonder if money became our driving force - if we traded huge goals in for fast cash. Granted we all have to make a living somehow, but why can’t it be doing what we love?

Take a minute today to think about what you’re doing with your life, and if it’s anything close to what you wanted to be when you “grew up”. You might be surprised!