• Toddler Teasers- This one is very educational and I was shocked at how much my little girl knew! It’s highly interactive and praises your child with right answers. My favorite so far.
• Hatch-This was strictly designed for distraction and it works. The child taps the egg until it hatches open to reveal a small animal. The animal changes with each hatched egg.
• I Hear Ewe-A really cute game that is basically animal/sound recognition. Cute!

Toddler apps work for me! (Oh, and by the way, I’M GOING TO AFRICA!)

Y’all. I am not a good sleeper. I can’t remember the last time I slept through the night.

I’ve always been a light sleeper, waking to every noise in the night. While my kids were babies, this was always helpful.

Now? Not so much.

I’m not big on sleep aids (a.k.a DRUGS) although I’m certainly not above them when I’m a crazy insomniac.

But recently, I’ve discovered an unexpected, yet super easy way to get a little more sleep: I wear socks to bed.

I discovered it by accident and it didn’t occur to me the first couple of times. There’s just something about it.

And, it turns out I’m a genius because this week I heard on the radio that research has PROVEN that people sleep better with socks! Really, it said something about if your feet are warm it causes the rest of your body to relax and you get into the coveted REM sleep, plus all your protons and neurons and stuff work, well , you know. I might be making up that last part a bit, but I wanted to go with scientific look.

So, if you dream of being a sleepyhead, put on your socks!

Oh, by the way, guess who my favorite Disney Princess is?

Yep, Sleeping Beauty. I’m jealous of all those naps.

I love magazines that show me how to do make stuff (Country Living and Southern Living) or give me info on things I care about (Parents).

I typically toss one in my grocery cart, but I rarely subscribe. It’s not something I budget and let’s face it, I don’t feel the $3 for one like the $25 for twelve. (Math is not my thing, obviously).

But in the past month, I’ve bought FIVE magazine subscriptions. Count them: Real Simple, Southern Living, Parents, Country Living and Family Fun! ALL for $5 each-for an entire year!

Amazon has daily deals (it the little yellow treasure box in the toolbar). I am emailed a link each morning and I skim through this almost every day and that’s where I’ve stumbled upon the $5 subscriptions-all at an 80% discount! There is usually one magazine deal every week or so.

And that, my friends, works for me.

It’s been ugly. The casualties have been many.

Today’s WFMW is, perhaps, a small glimpse into an ordinary day of being me. 

But, people, I am not proud and I’m happy to pass along a few tips for finding your lost car. Or to be more precise, the whereabouts of the car you parked, but forgot where, because you were totally engrossed in Target’s red-ticketed clearance section for well over an hour.

Not that I would know about that. It’s just a for example.

First off, park in the same space every time  you visit your regular stores. This does not mean drive the wrong way down an aisle and cut in front of the elderly gentleman who has been patiently waiting for his spot to open up. *You know who you are.* If your spot is taken, park in the same row every time.

But if you forget, and you have a key fob for your car on your keychain, press the alarm key. It works every time. (warning: You will be stared at, but you won’t have to walk home.)

4-5PM finds us in the kitchen on weekdays during the school year.

My kids, still in elementary school, enjoy doing their homework at the kitchen table, the hub of our home.

I like it too.

While I start preparations for dinner, they work on spelling words and vocabulary definitions. I’m there to prod and answer quick questions. Unless it’s math. There are tears with math. And my kids sometimes cry too. We leave math to Dad.

Last year, we were always scrounging up pencils, digging for paper and losing markers. I decided a homework center was a necessity.

I found an amazing shelf 1/2 price at Marshalls for $20. It asked to come home with me and since I’m nice, I obliged. I fell in love with it’s smart cubbies and practical shelf.

We covered cardboard oatmeal containers in fun scrapbook paper:

And filled them with learning goodies:

This old tin tray I found at a yard sale, serves as a perfect message center for projects and important reminders. I used magnetic clips to attach to the tray:

The little shelf even had placards for my kid’s names:

I added some rulers and a paperweight my toddler made and it’s ready to go!

It didn’t take my kids long…

I think this project gets an A+. Don’t you?

What works for you?

I’m am not a photographer. 

I just take pictures.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t want great photos on my blog or in my scrapbook (that I’ll get around to making someday. Maybe).

For months, I’ve been on a quest to find an easy-to-use, option-filled, free program that will turn my blah into beautiful.

I use a really great camera (Nikon D50) that I bought for my hubby for Christmas 3 years ago. (I think he thinks I bought it for me). But I don’t adjust the lenses and keep it on automatic. Because I have camera-related fears.

I’ve tried various tools like Pixelmator. It’s a great system, but too complex for me.  I like Picasa and even have it on my desktop. It’s easier to use and free, but it doesn’t give me the specialty options I was looking for, like writing text on photographs or adding special borders.

My non-professional photographic friends, if you aren’t using Picnik, you should be. Picnik allows you to upload your photos (one at a time, is the only drawback), but they load rather quickly. With just a simple click, you can round photo edges, add snappy borders in any thickness you want, put text on photos and so much  more. 

Plus, I’ve there is a Premium feature that cost just a few dollars. I’ve yet to sign up, but I hear there’s a button to remove wrinkles and blemishes from photographs. So, well, it’s only a matter of time before I go Premium.

Here are just a  couple of my favorite features, but there are dozens more:

             before after

If I had to choose one parenting tool to use from birth throughout school, I know exactly what it would be:

A nursery monitor.

Oh, sure, it’s helpful when you relinquish that new baby to her own bed. It’s a great aid for listening to your toddler during nap time while they don’t nap.

But I enjoy using the baby monitor long after my kids are babies. 

I leave the receiver turned on in my room all the time. (And you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a decent monitor! Mine was a hand-me-down from a friend and is at least 8 years old! It’s just an average brand from WalMart). 

My three children’s rooms are upstairs and the monitor picks up every argument, every secret plan to toss stuffed animals over the balcony, and every grumpy complaint muttered under the breath of the ‘tween in the house. 

But most importantly, it picks up the quiet. The stillness of a toddler getting into her sister’s lipstick or the sneakiness of a boy experimenting with model airplane glue. 

And sometimes, I hear my kids playing nicely together. It’s music to my ears.

I have stopped catastrophes in mid-crisis. And I owe it all to a couple of 9 volt batteries.  I laughed to myself when I read this month’s Family Fun magazine when a parent sent in this idea for monitoring outdoor fun with a baby monitor as well!

I plan on stocking up on batteries during the teen years.

P.S. My kids are fully aware of the monitor on my bathroom counter. I don’t consider this act “spying” on them at all! I would never hide it in their rooms to be secretive….

Nursery monitors work for me!

I love to shop. 

I won’t lie. I like to search for bargains, score deep-discounted items and taunt my savvy victories in the face of those who paid full price.

And you thought I was nice. 

Heh.

But sometimes, I need a specific item or getting out to shop with three kids isn’t convenient. (Okay, it’s never convenient. But sometimes the Target end cap entices me and I must heed the call).

I’m getting ready for back to school and I’ve purchased my kid’s backpacks, lunch boxes, school supplies and a few new outfits all online, and all at a discount.

[And I'm trying really hard not to do a victory dance right now].

Here are my tips:

1. Shop the clearance at major online stores like Target and WalMart.
2. Google ‘coupon codes’ for your favorite stores. I find that about 70% of the time, these codes are valid!
3. Use free shipping codes or search for stores that offer shipping discounts.
4. Make a list of what you need and stick to it. 
5. Take advantage of sites like Shop Smart that do a lot of the hard work for you and offer a rundown of slashed prices.
6. Tweet about what you’re looking for! I’ve been sent coupon codes by followers and even discount codes by businesses!

It’s summer.

The hot dog consumption in my house is high.

I think this tip has changed my laundry life. It’s certainly reduced my stain-induced stress.

When serving your child their favorite meal (a.k.a hotdogs and ketchup), put the ketchup UNDER the hotdog.

So, to clarify: 

• Step one: Apply ketchup to bun.
• Step two: Place hotdog ON TOP OF ketchup.
  
• Step three: When child drops their entire plate on the ground, their white shirt will stay clean.
  
• Step four: If this is your third child, blow dirt off said hotdog and enjoy.

Note to self: Why is my child wearing white?

 

I have an odd assortment of quirky, but helpful summer tips.

And let’s just assume that I’m not odd.

 Or quirky. 

Ahem.

So, here they are, in no certain order (like I need to point that out):

• Splinter removal is easier if you soak area in olive oil first.
• Toss coffee grounds in vegetable or flower garden for healthier soil.
• Apply lemon juice to mildewed towels, clothes and let the sun dry them.
• Pure vanilla extract will deter mosquitos (and make you smell like dessert).
• In case you don’t want to smell like a cupcake, BenGay cream relieves insect bite itching.

For someone who doesn’t possess the joy of cooking, I sure have been talking a lot about it this week!

It’s necessary though, since the people who live with me hold up empty plates and give me puppy dog eyes.

I love the idea of not heating up the kitchen in the hot summer months! You can read some cool kitchen ideas (and enter to win free chicken and cookbooks from yesterday’s post) here.  I’m a big salad person. Actually, my hubby is too and my kids will eat anything with Ranch dressing on it.

Here’s my favorite summer salad:

Roman lettuce, chopped

A pint of fresh sliced strawberries

Crumbled feta cheese-3 tablespoons

Chopped pecans-1/4 Cup

Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

I add grilled chicken on top if it’s our main course!

My mother-in-law makes an unbelievable Boston Cream Pie. It’s divine, easy and it’s adding a thickness to my hips since we just polished one off today!

1 Cup cold milk

1 pkg Jello-Vanilla Instant Pudding, Pie filling

1 1/2 Cups Cool Whip (thawed)

Beat together (milk, pudding, Cool Whip) and spread on layer. Top with second cake layer.

Microwave on high 1 square Baker’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate and 1 Tablespoon butter.

Add 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar and 2 Tablespoons cold milk.

Spread chocolate mixture over top layer and refrigerate.

You’ll be glad  you did (except for the hip-thickening part).