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Jul 28th, 4:35 PM We are gearing up for our auction! Would you like to donate a product? Http://bit.ly/tmnauction Jul 26th, 12:21 PM Seeking donations for our National Auction - see http://bit.ly/tmnauction for info. Great promo opp for your biz or craft! #mommiesnetwork Jul 24th, 8:47 PM Did you know? TMN's National Auction is soon! Get your biz, craft, product & name out to THOUSANDS! http://bit.ly/tmnauction #mommiesnetwork Jul 24th, 6:50 AM Happy Saturday morning! How do you spend your weekend mornings? Jul 17th, 1:16 PM Seeking donations for our national auction. ++Exposure for your biz, product, craft! See http://bit.ly/tmnauction for info! #mommiesnetwork FredericksburgMommies Blog
Happy 4th of July Everybody!!! Welll, I tried to think of an historic blog for Mommies to do with the 4th of July, but really I think I covered in on the President's Day blog...
So, is everyone all partied out???? I have to say, I have had enough of this weekend, 4th of July or not. My DH and I have been non stop bickering for the last 3 days and I am sooooo ready for him to go back to work :).
I think holidays like this are all about setting up your family's holiday routines. Our neighbors set off lots of fireworks, which luckily didn't wake up my LO or set the neighborhood on fire...so was actually pretty cool. They grilled out and had lots of people over. My Mom throws a big shin dig in TX every year and people come from all over to eat, play dominoes and watch fireworks.
Since my LO is only 2 and 1/2yrs old...I am still working on what we will call our 4th of July routine. He goes to bed before the fireworks and they would have scared the poop outta him...so we skipped them. Instead we let him run through the sprinkler and hang out with Daddy in the backyard.
I made flag cookies and quilited all weekend.
The founding mother's were all practiced in the art of handwork, quilting and sewing...so I felt close to them that way. We spent time at the playground and went out to eat for dinner tonight. We just hung around as a family unit and I think it was lots of fun. When he gets a little older, I plan to take him to Laguna Park etc. for the big fireworks shows, but for this one - hangin' at the hacienda suited us just fine!
Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July. Happy Birthday America and thank a troop/soldier/marine etc. for your freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Summer Fun!!!!!!!!! So, the kids are out or almost out of school?what to do now? Well, my little man is only 2 ½ years old, so I am in a little different boat ? but we could all use a few ideas right?
I know you all probably already know about all the things I am listing below, but find it is helpful to keep a list of stuff to do on our fridge, so when my little one is whining and driving me crazy ? I can quick reference it to see what we can do ASAP!
I decided to check out the outdoor stuff around here in Stafford. I found this website: http://www.staffordkids.com/outdoors.html that was GREAT. It contains lots of ideas for kids of all ages. It shows a list of all the parks in the areas (including which ones have playgrounds and which do not). It has a listing for organized sports and seasonal stuff etc.
I checked out Smith Lake Park, which I really liked, but it didn?t have any swings or shade? Then, I checked out the Marine Corps Museum Park ? which was awesome?it had a section for kids from 2 ? 5yrs old and one for kids from 5 ? 10yrs old. It also had toddler swings and regular swings as well as a bench swing to swing with your kiddoes.
The two websites above also have listings of swimming pools in the area too. I haven?t checked them out yet, but hope to go to the Woodlands Pool soon.
Also, since this is such an historical area, I was interested in what museums would be interesting for my little one and for him as he gets older. So, I found this one: http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/dc-kids-activities.html It not only contains a kids museum guide & movie guide, but also kid friendly places to eat, events etc.
Obviously we are all on a budget, so there are also lots of ideas that you can do at home too. I recently bought a sandbox from Wal-Mart for $37, plus $5 worth of beach toys (also from Wal-Mart) and put $6 worth of sand in it (2-50 lbs bags) from Lowe?s and my son LOVES to go out there and dig in the dirt.
I also bought a t-ball set from Wal-Mart (under $10). My little one likes it ok, but usually just buries the bat and the balls in the sandbox ? lol!
Every time we go out to the sandbox, my little one wants to turn on the water ? so I waited for a good hot afternoon, put him in his new Sponge Bob Squarepants swim trunks (from Wal-Mart ? under $10) and turned the sprinkler on him!
As for indoor activities on a budget ? I recently discovered a few outlets that ROCK!!! I went to the Dollar Tree (on Garrisonville Rd by Target) and they have cheapo toys that your kid can destroy without breaking the bank. Also, I LOVE Micheal?s (also in the shopping center with Target on Garrisonville). They always have stickers on sale (usually for $.99). Also, from Michael?s, since I stamp, I like to get the Washable Non-Toxic ink for stamping. I also get my little one stamps when they are on sale?Michael?s usually has a coupon in the paper on the weekends too!
Nickelodeon has a great website: http://www.nick.com/ where they list lots of fun activities and crafts for indoors?I like to click on the Nick Jr tab for activities for my little one.
Of course there are always the usual suspects, TV, DVDs, Video Games, Books, Play Doh, Finger Painting/Watercolors etc.
As you can tell one of my mottos is: ?When looking for activities ? ?Google It? or in our case ?Good Search? it?.
I am super jazzed for this summer now that my little one is getting big enough to enjoy/appreciate stuff around town (as well as more indoor crafts/activities). I hope this helps give some ideas for everybody!
Man Oh Man - have I been distracted lately! I have been quilting up a storm...doing lots of charity quilts and taking a class on quilting. Ugh!!! My little man has been a pistol lately too - lots of whining and crying (he is 2 - enough said - right?)
I do quilts for the Sheriff's department - they give them to people who are victims of domestic abuse, fire etc. Above are some pictures... I only did the whole quilt of the last one...the other ones I just did the batting and binding.
My little man has learned (the hard way) about how sharp quilting needles are; he knows that if he opens my safety pin container just right they go EVERYWHERE; and he likes to use my scraps as tissues (ugh!)...
In trying to insert my distraction into my daily Mommie life - I have discovered that 2yr olds are interested in ANYTHING that Mommie is doing for at least 3.5 seconds - : ) He likes to come up and lay on my quilt as I am tieing it or pull the scraps as I am cutting etc. So, in order to keep him from messing with Mommie's stuff, I am getting creative. I am making him his own quilt with fusable backing and scraps...I plan to get him his own plastic needles and some kiddo scissors (he LOVES scissors). We haven't quite got the hang of quilting together, but he likes to help me press my fabric... : ) (below is his idea of helping - LOL)
Quilting is a very theraputic thing for me - when my little man is sick or in need of discipline, it makes it much easier for me to stay calm to hold him when he feels bad and during/after discipline, as well as when he sees me doing stuff...he has taken to getting busy himself...I LOVE to see him playing happily by himself!
So - get distracted sometimes and it may make you a better Mommie!!!
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just had to write a Mother?s Day blog!!! However, the thoughts in my head are floating around like so many bubbles that pop and disappear as soon as I try to catch them!
So, I decided that on this Mother?s Day a little perspective was in order, so I looked up the history of Mother?s Day in America on the internet. It is a rather sad, but special story.
In 1858 Ann Reeves Jarvis begins Mothers? Work Clubs to fight the unsanitary conditions and high infant mortality rates, then after the Civil War she begins Mother?s Friendship Day in 1868 to unite the foes of North and South.
In 1870, Julia War Howe of Boston, who wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," wanted women to band together internationally to abolish all wars to protect their sons. So, she started Mothers' Peace Day in Boston.
Anna Jarvis, Ann Reeves Jarvis?s daughter, takes up the cause in honor of her Mother and sees it become a National Holiday in 1915 when President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May a national holiday honoring mothers. Florists soon begin exploiting the holiday raising rates in May and political figures use it to raise money etc.
Anna Jarvis spends the rest of her life protesting the exploitation Mother?s Day for political and commercial ends. She is put in an asylum at 80 years old. She dies in 1948 at 84 years old.
Whoa ? that isn?t a great history at all! However, Mother?s Day was intended to be a reverent celebration for families and I believe it is for most. I know for me Mother?s Day always meant making my Mom breakfast in bed?we tried sooooo hard to get the fried egg yellows not to pop, but they always did ? we never got the butter on the toast to melt and later we found out that my Mom doesn?t even like jelly ? ugh! However, the important part of it was waking her up with our little tray of love and spending the morning hanging out on her bed wishing her ?Happy Mother?s Day?. We made her homemade cards (and stuff at school) that she treasured above all.
Last week I went to Iowa to visit my husband?s family and I met one of his old friends from High School. She was LOTS of fun had a great outlook on life and was a busy successful woman. However, when I asked her if she had any kids, she got a sad look in her eye and said ?No, I wasn?t able to have any kids??but then she lit up again and says that she has 4 nieces and nephews as well as 9 godchildren. Most people I know avoid children if they aren?t able to have any and wanted to, but not Jerrilu?she embraced them, sought them out and enjoyed being an aunt and godmother.
This is only my 3rd Mother?s Day (so this may change, but for now), I think that the most important part of it has been that I get to be a Mother! I have had to do the dishes, laundry and am about to cook dinner, but I don?t mind a bit ? it doesn?t feel like a birthday at all?on Mother?s Day, I am happy to do these things, because I get to do it for my family ? I am a Mother!
So however you celebrate Mother?s Day ? whether it is lounging around letting others do for you; go get your nails done or get a massage; do crafts that you enjoy or just have a normal day or go visit your godchildren ? celebrate Mother?s Day, because you are a Mother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look for stores that double and triple coupons: Shoppers was tripling .50 and under coupons and doubling up to $1 coupons ($1=$2 off). I made out like a bandit! My best I bough $124 and only spent $40
Only buy clothes on sale or w/ a coupon (or both!)...I am a bargain shop-a-holic!
I take advantage of the coupons to transfer a prescription to another pharmacy and receive a gift card to that store. I will start the prescription at CVS (I may have a coupon for a NEW prscription here) and receive a gift card to CVS for $25. Giant takes competitors coupons so the next month trasfer it to Giant. Give them the Rite Aid coupon for a $30 GC when you trasnfer a coupon, receive a $30 gift card to Giant, the next month do it for Giant. I do this for the 7 prescriptions a month ($210 in GC to each store).
I also belong to www.refundcents.com Lots and lots of tips and good deal alerts. There is a fee to access the members only but I think it is $1 and it pays for itself. She also prints a monthly magazine.
I also print coupons from online. www.coupons.com is a great one. ALso alot of product websites has offers to print coupons on their products. It's usually a limit of two. I have not had any problems at any stores in Spotsy or Fred not accepting them.
So what I've been doing is cutting out he 40% off coupon in the Sunday paper for Michael's (which they generally have more available in store if you need it) and also cut out the coupon for AC Moore or Jo-Ann Fabrics...
They will let you use 2 coupons in the same transaction! So really you're going to get 40-50% off your purchase. I've been going in every week picking up one or 2 items at a time?the drive each week is worth saving the money!
Sales/Clearance/Deals
Whatever happens to be on sale for the week is what we have for dinner. I never pay full price for meat only buy what?s on sale and stock up. Also bottom dollar has way nicer produce than Food Lion and cheaper by a lot.
Buy what groceries are on sale, and hit up bottom dollar for the staples and produce...or buy stuff in bulk from Costco.
I buy certain items (paper towels, TP, laundry stuff, etc.) in bulk.
I usually buy clothes on sale or clearance or e-bay, if it's a good deal.
I try to find the boys clothes (and mine as well) either through freecycle, consignment sales, thrift stores, etc.
I only buy Gymboree during Gymbucks time.
I am a serious clearance shopper. I have a under $5 rule. I look for clothes under 5... and I always have people tell me my kids are well dressed. I buy at the end of seasons keeping the next few years in mind.
I stockpile certain items if I can get them cheap. Like my husband loves Franks Hot Sauce, I will get online and trade coupons with people, then when some place triples, like Bloom, I get him free Hot Sauce, we have like 8 bottles right now.
Does anyone subscribe to The Grocery Game? I did for awhile but decided that I could do it on my own after learning all of their tips. You get a 4 week trial for $1. Check it out if you haven't before... http://www.thegrocerygame.com/
Get Organized
I make out grocery lists and weekly menus.
The other thing I have found helpful is coming up w/ a dinner menu for 5 of the 7 nights. This takes a little thought, though, and I don't quite do it EVERY week, but when I do, it really helps.
I buy my groceries for the week all at one time so I'm not making multiple little trips to the store and spending money on little things I don't need.
Please don't think this is anal retentive, b/c, I'll admit, it is...BUT, I keep a running tab of the contents of my freezer. I post it to the side of my fridge. It actually takes a lot less time than you might think, plus, when you get ready to go grocery shopping, you already know what's there. I don't rewrite the list every week, just cross through items as I use them and add as I go. It also helps me plan ahead for meals or figure out what we can fix that's quick & easy.
Budget/Lower Bills/Use Less
I have a budget for each month?it is not hard core, but I have a number in my head of how much I can spend?I keep track as I shop for the month. At the grocery store I try to only spend a certain amount each week, and I have an amount that I can spend at Target/Wal-Mart/Michaels etc. I used to write it all down to keep track, but now I can do it in my head. If I spend more at one place?I spend less somewhere else.
I'm the queen of keeping saving electricity, water & gas. Just wish everyone else in my house was. If you drive by my house after dare you would think no one was home, that is if it's just me and my kids in the house.
I only stop at Starbucks once a week.
I only eat lunch out once a week (usually with my DH as a "lunch with daddy" outing).
My DH packs his lunch and only eats out once, maybe twice, a week.
We get books from the library instead of buying them.
We rent movies from Netflix instead of buying them.
I cancelled all magazine subscriptions except for Parents (when am I going to read them, anyway?!?)
Vinegar is a great cleaner. Peroxide is good for tile grout (mixed with baking soda). Toothpaste also works on watermarks on faucets!
Ammonia (diluted according to the directions on the bottle) works great to disinfect and is good for the environment; baking soda removes soap scum from tubs and showers.
I use rags, handi-wipes and sponges instead of paper towels to clean.
I pretty much stay at home. I shop online for a lot of items. Most things are free shipping. So I'm not paying these ridiculous gas prices right now. But other than that I pretty much buy what I need/want at the stores.
We only have one car and DH is about to start riding a bicycle to work. (we only live a few minutes away from his store).
I buy everything generic. My only cleaning products are 409 and bleach. Shop at Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, etc. and lots of comparison shopping for cheaper products. I use Purex instead of Tide, regular dish soap instead of the pricey kinds.
Also - every bit helps...and saw a show where they were talking about laundry detergent - you only actually need about 1/4 of what they tell you to use. The soap companies just want you to spend spend spend...so I always fill it to the lowest line for my large loads...and not only are you saving on soap - your clothes get just as clean AND I don?t have to use fabric softener b/c the clothes get 'crunchy' due to the soap that does not rinse out...if you use less soap, they are nice and soft and actually cleaner...and better for your skin too!
I heard the same thing from a repair man about dishwasher soap. He told me that you only need about a fourth of the amount it takes to fill the little dispenser cup.
When it comes to cleaning the floor I use the Swiffer and after it gets all dry I just throw it under the sink and flip it over and clip it back on and spray it with a floor cleaner of Mr. Clean so I can get more use out of it. It can be used at leased three times during the day.
