18 Tips and Tricks for Using Google Search

Everyone has heard of Google, but did you know all the really cool things it can do? Here are 18 helpful and fun tips and tricks for using the popular search engine that you may not know.

1.  Exclude from Search ResultsType "-X" replacing X with your word or phrase to exclude those results from your search results. For example, say you want to search for printables by not those on Pinterest.com type in  "-Pinterest"

2.  Definitions
To find the meaning of a word type "definition of X" replacing X with your work or phrase.

3.  Use Images to Search
Go to Google.com then click on Images without putting anything in the search area. Once on the images pages you will see a small camera near the search field. Click it. It will allow you to select an image from a website or you can upload one from your computer.

4.  Timer
Use Google as a timer. Enter "set timer to X" replacing the X with a number of hours or minutes. An example "set timer to 1 minute" or "set timer to 3 minutes 11 seconds".

5.  Holidays/Festivities
Find the day and date of holidays or festivities by typing in the name. For example, "Thanksgiving" will produce "Thursday, November 26 - Thanksgiving Day 2015".

6. Calculator
Don't have a calculator handy simply enter your math problem into the search results to get the answer.

7.  Tip Calculator
Out to eat at your favorite restaurant and need to figure out how much tip to leave. Just type in "tip calculator" which will let you enter the total bill before tip and select a percentage.

8.  Translate
Need to translate from one language to another. Perhaps there is a sign you need to understand but it's in another language - enter the words and it will show you the translation.

9.  Check the Weather
Wondering what the weather is in your hometown. Enter your city, state or city, country and forecast to get the weather for today and the next seven days.

10.  Movies
Find movies playing in your area. Enter "movies" and your zip code. You will see a visual image of the movies available. Just click on one and it will show you when and where it's being shown.

11.  Conversions
Do you need to convert feet to inches? What about Euros to Dollars? Type X "to" X for your results.

12.  Track a Package
If you're waiting for a package to arrive, enter the tracking number into the search bar and press enter to receive the status of your package.

13.  Tilt Screen
Type "tilt" in the search area and press enter to see your screen tilt at an angle.

14.  Barrel Roll
Type "do a barrel roll" to see your entire screen flip like a cartwheel.

15.  Atari Breakout
Play a game of Breakout on google by searching "Atari Breakout" without the quotation marks in Google Images. Trick is to keep the mouse within the playing area while moving it back and forth.

16.  Flip A Coin
Type "Flip a Coin" in the search field and a coin will rotate landing on either heads or tails.

17.  Roll a Six-Sided Die
Enter "roll a dice" into the search bar and press enter. Similar to flip a coin it will give you the results.

18.  Where Are You?
If you type in "Where Am I" it will bring up a map of your current location. Creepy and cool at the same time.

Some of these are useful and some are just for fun. Have fun and enjoy!

How to Make It Through the Winter and Still Have Fun

On a day when it's cold and snowy I'm dreaming of Spring. Warmer weather and planting my garden sounds wonderful right now.

Unfortunately, Spring is still a couple weeks away.

Here are a couple things you can do to get through the somewhat lonely, isolating winter months for those in cold weather areas.

1. Get Outside
I know it's cold and possibly snowy, but get outside. Breathe in fresh air. Get some sun. Even if it's only to run to the mailbox or to a store.

2. Read a Good Book
If you can't get out because of the weather - escape into a great book. Curl up with a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate or coffee and get engrossed in a wonderful story.

3. Get Some Exercise
Many people pack on the pounds during the winter months, but there are plenty of things you can do to stay fit while remaining inside.  There are tons of dance, exercise, and sporting games on a variety of gaming systems. We love Just Dance and Wii Fit.

You don't need a gaming system to get fit, you can do yoga, Tai Chi, calisthenics (sit-ups, push-ups, jump rope, etc.), weight lifting or any number of exercise videos online.

4. Find a Hobby, Craft, or Project
Distract yourself by getting involved in a hobby or starting a craft or project. Find something you truly enjoy. Something like crochet, knitting, quilting, photography, scrapbooking, etc. Here is a link to a ton of hobbies in case you need suggestions.

5. Get Together With Friends and Family
Being around different people can really help lighten the mood. Let's face it being stuck with the same people can try everyone's nerves. Hosting a dinner party or movie night can be a great time for all. It can give you something to look forward to and lots to talk about after, as well.

So basically, get out, get moving, get around other people and start doing stuff. Keep busy and have fun!

Plus remember...

57 days until Spring

How I Plan My Grocery Shopping Trips and Weekly Meals

I thought I would share what I use to help my family stay within our grocery budget each and every week.

Every single week I sit down and make a list of all the stuff we need from the various stores. I don't shop at just one. I shop at Walmart for pet products, laundry, plus various other household supplies and some name brand foods. Then I shop at Aldi's for the majority of my groceries and Weis Markets for meats. It's a personal preference and based on the quality of products in my particular area.

It's really easy to find lots of printable weekly menu planners with the grocery list. Here are just a few that are free to download so you can start using a meal planner immediately.

Here's one I created 2 years back.
DIY Home Sweet Home - This one is colorful with the menu planning at the top and grocery list at the bottom.
GlueStickBlog - A really nice looking menu planning sheet included in their 2015 planner printable pack.

This is the one I'm currently using from 733blog.com.

 

Once I found one I liked, I printed 52 copies back to back on my printer. You can also save the document to a flash drive and have it printed at a copy shop. After I printed it out I created a quick cover page and printed it out also.

Then I took my printed planner pages and had them bound at my local Office Depot. They even added a clear cover and white backing. It cost a total of $3.80. I love the way it looks and it's much sturdier too.

Here is what mine looks like on a typical week. I cross everything off as I find them and check off each meal as I use them. I don't necessarily eat whatever I listed for the day of the week. 

Speaking of the grocery list. I include EVERYTHING that I need to buy for the week on that list. That means food, cleaners, pet food and supplies, paper products, plus any miscellaneous things my family needs that we were able to plan for.  If it's not on the list I will surely forget it.

Some people starting out wonder how I know the prices of everything. To be honest I know the prices of 95% of the stuff on my list because I purchase it often. The stuff I'm unsure the price of I use a best guess and I always over-estimate. Once you've been doing this for a couple weeks it will be just as easy for you.

People have asked why I keep all my previous week's lists. I keep them so I can get menu ideas and check prices on items I purchase infrequently. Another reason is to remember what I did when we only had $50 a week or $100 a week to feed my family of 5 if I ever have to do that again.

I really hope this helps you and your family stay within your grocery budget like it has my family.

Trying to Stay Warm

It was all of 2° F this morning. Talk about cold!!!

A large portion of the United States is experiencing the same type of temperatures today, so I decided to share a few things we are doing to keep warm.

Obviously, if you have a fire place or wood stove - use it. I'm going to talk about things you can do in addition to your normal heat source.

Thermal Curtains
One thing we did shortly after moving into this home was purchase thermal curtains. We bought them from our local Wal-Mart for $24 because we have really crappy windows that let a lot of cold air in. This is a pretty common problem, especially with older homes. The curtains are a pretty inexpensive fix and makes a huge difference in comparison to brand new windows.

When it is cold, day or night, we keep those curtains closed to block out the draft.

Draft Stoppers
Another inexpensive thing I did was make a couple simple draft stoppers. See here how I made them. I put them along the bottom of every external door and many windows.

Blankets
Blankets aren't just for your bed. If you don't have thermal curtains, you can always hang them over your windows to block out the cold. Another option is to lay them at the base of your windows or doors. Anything you can do to stop the cold air from coming in and letting all your heat escape.

Of course, you also want to keep some blankets or quilts for your bed or for covering up with when sitting on the sofa.

Layers
Even while you are home you want to dress in layers. You don't want to crank up your heating system, raising your electric bill and putting a strain on the power grid. Keep your home set at a slightly cool temperature. You should be comfortable in a sweater or sweatshirt - not t-shirt and shorts in the middle of winter.

Keep Busy
I try to keep busy, by cleaning my house or other errands when it's really cold. That way I'm too busy to realize it's cold.

If I must go outside I definitely wear a hat, warm coat, gloves and scarf. I try to cover as much exposed skin as possible. Dress in layers with long underwear, multiple shirts, etc.

One last tip, if you use hand warmers (the little sachets) place them directly in your pocket not directly on the palm of your hands. It will keep your entire hand warm in your pocket and also your hips a little as well. I you need to have your hands free, place the hand warmer on the top of your hand within the glove, not the palm of your hand.

Most importantly, only go outside if you absolutely must. Stay safe. :)

10 Holiday Tips and Tricks

Here are a couple tried and true holiday tips and tricks that have worked for me over the years and I thought I would share them with all of you. 

1.  First of all and the most helpful tip is create a list of everyone you plan to buy. Next, assign a dollar amount that you would be willing to spend on their present.  Then, as you go about your holiday shopping, write down what you bought them and how much you spent.

2.  Always have at least one extra gift ready for that unexpected person who shows up bearing a gift. That unexpected neighbor who drops by, relative who comes to town, or friend you haven't seen in a while.

3.  To keep Christmas lights from being tangled during storage try wrapping them around a piece of cardboard. We used an old cardboard box or you can use a part of an empty cereal box.

4.  Label the light sets with the location you use them. Ex. outside tree, outside windows, inside tree It's as easy as folding a blank mailing label in half around the wire. Another option is using the bread clips and just write on the back in marker.

5.  When storing small fragile ornaments try an empty egg carton. It will provide cushioning and it doesn't cost anything over what you already paid for the eggs.

6.  Store wrapping paper upright in a closet tucked to the side or the back and held in place with a bungee cord. Another option is to slide a loose rubber band or hair tie to keep the paper from unraveling - not tight or it will crinkle the paper.

7.  Run out of wrapping paper?  You can always use the comics.

8.  Can't tell what present belongs to who?  Try wrapping each family's gifts in the same paper. 

9.  I wrap the presents and sort them into 3 piles (Mom's, Hubby's family and Our family) based on where they will be opened.


10.   Use velcro to hang lights or garland from railings or banisters. We tried zip ties and they need to be cut off.  Let me just say that involved a hospital visit last New Years Day and multiple stitches. Not fun. Stick to velcro - that's all I'm saying. LOL!

Have an holiday tips or tricks you want to share?

Where to Find Low Cost Halloween Costumes

It's the beginning of October and that means it's time for Halloween. When you have kids that means costumes, candy and lots of money out of your pocketbook.

Here are five places to find low cost Halloween costumes for your kids and even yourself.

Thrift Stores
The most obvious place to look for costumes is your local thrift or second hand store. These are one place to look, but many times the outfits are picked over with good ones taken fast.

eBay.com
The second most obvious and commonly searched place for costumes is eBay.com.  You can find pretty much any costume your little one may want, however, people are out there to make a big profit and you need to fight others (bidding of course) to win a really great costume.

Amazon.com
You may not know that Amazon sells more than just e-books. They sell lots of other stuff including new and used Halloween costumes and accessories. Best part is there is no bidding and the prices are low in most cases.

Make Your Own
If you still can't afford to pay for an already made costume, consider making one yourself. You can easily make an easy costume with a plain colored sweat suit or a black bodysuit and tights. Another option is to use a cardboard box to create a really cool costume. Use your imagination! Be an animal, a bottle of ketchup, a robot, a washing machine, or an iPad.  Need ideas just give a quick search online.

Clearance Sales
The absolute best way to find a cheap Halloween costume is to buy them during the after Halloween clearance sales. Buy them after the holiday for the next year. Buy a size or two bigger and try to stick to classic costumes - nothing too trendy because they could be out of style by next year.

No matter what your little one wants to be for Halloween you can find a way to dress-up  for less than retail. You just need to know where to look.

My Fave Tips of All Time

Here are a couple of my absolute favorite - most useful tips of all time. I hope they will help you as well.

1.  Salt Puts Out A Grease Fire In The Kitchen.
I've actually used this one. My hubby loves to cook bacon on the weekend. Unfortunately he tried to move the pan that had way too much cooking grease on it and some spilled onto the burner creating a fire. There were flames about 8-10 inches high.

Simply pouring regular table salt onto the flames is a simple and inexpensive way to put out a fire before it gets too large. Obviously use a fire extinguisher if you have one and if you don't and the fire spreads get out of the house and call the Fire Department.

2. Shaving Cream Takes Sharpie Marker Off Skin
I've mentioned before that I worked as a recess monitor a few years ago. At that time, I had a kid sneak a marker out to recess and decided to draw on themselves with it.  All over himself.

The teacher on duty, myself and another recess monitor all tried various things to get the marker off. Nothing would get the marker off. At home I was still trying to find something that would work and finally found out that regular cheap shaving cream took it off with a little rubbing.

3. Vinegar Gets Smells Out of Laundry
I use this one all the time. Simply put 1/4 cup or so in the wash during the rinse cycle. It takes out all smells including smoke, musty odors, sweat, etc.

4. Baby Oil to Clean Glass Shower Doors
Where I used to live we had glass shower doors in our bathroom. They were the hardest things to keep clean. They would become covered in soap scum, hard water stains and other gunk.

Here's how I cleaned them. Take a wash cloth and pour some baby oil on it. Rub the dampened wash cloth on the shower doors. It will remove all the gunk on the glass and become clear.

5. Rubbing Alcohol Cleans Mirrors and Windows
I haven't purchased a name brand window cleaner in years instead I use generic rubbing alcohol. Put some in a spray bottle and spray it onto the mirror or window and wipe off with a paper towel. No streaks are left behind. Much cheaper than name brand cleaners and works just as great.
 

How to Clean Ink off Dolls

How many times have one of your kids decided to draw "make-up" on their dolls with a permanent marker? What about an ink pen?

Well I've thrown away dolls that had their faces covered in ink and marker before.

Not anymore!

I found a way to get all the ink and pen marks off your dolls. The magic ingredient only cost $10 or less.

I started with a Next Generation Doll (sold at Target and similar to American Girl Dolls).  I found it at a local Goodwill store for less than $2.

The doll had lots of pen marks on her face, even eyelids. I figured magic eraser would get it right off.

Well I was wrong, but I didn't want to throw the doll away or donate it back to Goodwill in that condition. So I did some digging online to find out how to get the ink off.

I found a magic solution. It's 10% benzoyl peroxide - it's found in acne medicines. Yep acne medicine!

First you take the acne medicine and apply it to the pen marks and marker marks.  Next you take some ordinary plastic wrap and place it over the marks and acne medicine.

Now the part where the magic happens. Take the doll outside and place it in the sun. I recommend covering the dolls hair because it could dry the hair out.

Okay so here is how the doll looked after 3 weeks of the acne cream on the doll left inside by a window.  It did manage to get all the ink off, but not the marker. That's when I learned it works much better outside in the direct sun while wrapped in plastic wrap.

FYI: This doll has freckles.

This is what it looks like after 3 hours in the sun outside. It works much faster and better!!

This treatment works on Barbie dolls, American Girl dolls, and most baby dolls. Just make sure you check the dolls every once in a while because the treatment can bleach the skin.

Hopefully this will help you save a doll in your little one's life. I'm off to save more dolls.

Tax Refund - What Will You Do With Yours?

Today is Tax Day and if you are one of the lucky ones who expects to receive a refund here are a few ways to spend that refund wisely.

Pay Down Debt
Credit cards, Vehicle Loans and Personal Loans
If you have high balances pay off or put money towards the highest interest rate first. If you have a lower balance pay that one off first, so you won't have that payment anymore. Then snowball that payment toward the higher bills.

Medical bills
Accidents and medical emergencies happen and most insurances only pay 80% if you are lucky. If you aren't able to pay it off in full with your refund; call the doctor or hospital and ask for a payment plan. Most places are glad to actually have a client work with them and not have to go to a collections agency.

Buy Needed Items
Clothing
Let's face it kids grow quickly. Check your family's clothing to see if they are in need of a larger size or just newer clothes to replace old or worn out clothes.

Food
Getting your tax refund is the perfect time to stock up your pantry. Buying food with a longer shelf live will help your family if you fall on hard times in the future.

Make Home Repairs/Upgrades
Repairs/Maintenance
Now is the time to make necessary repairs to your home's major systems such as your heating, cooling, water treatment, and septic systems. It's always a good idea to have those same systems maintained by a qualified professional each year.

Upgrades to your home
Another option is to make upgrades to your home. Updating an older bathroom or kitchen are great ways to raise your homes' value. Even purchasing a new, more energy efficient appliance will add value.

Save for Future Expenses
Build an Emergency Fund
I'm a strong believer in having an emergency fund. You never know when you could become sick and miss a week of work, lose your job all together, have a vehicle break down or a furnace go up. Having a stash of money put away to will help cover the costs of an emergency and give you a little piece of mind.

Christmas
Put some of your tax refund away to pay for Christmas presents. Don't wait and use credit cards. Having the cash on hand will let you take advantage of great deals throughout the year.

College
If you have children or grand children consider putting some money aside for their college education. There are plenty of plans to help you save.

Put your refund where it can do the most good - now and in the long run. Spend it wisely.

Clean With Baking Soda

I found this interesting tip on Pinterest the other day and had to give it a try.

The tip showed how to get your stainless steel kitchen sink looking brand new with a little bit of baking soda and water. I was skeptical.

I already had some baking soda, so I figured what the hay.

So I took plain old baking soda and mixed it with a little water and scrubbed. Here's how it turned out. It's a lot shinier and looks great. Not too bad considering how old it is.

Then I tried cleaning other things like the bathroom grout and it worked really well. I didn't take pictures of all the different places I cleaned. I was on a roll. :-)

Baking soda is much cheaper than all the fancy/specialty cleaners. I think I'll be using baking soda more often to clean with.

Easter Clothes Shopping With Kids

Ugh!!!

It's no fun going shopping for clothes when you have to bring kids with you. I had to take all 3 kids (13, 11 and 8 yrs) to the store this morning to get Easter outfits.

My two oldest kids hate shopping. My boy will wear almost anything you give him. My oldest wants nothing pink and loves bright crazy colors. My little one is a girly girl and wants shoes and accessories to match just don't touch her hair.

We went to one store (Marshall's) and found 2 dresses for them and a top for me. We were in and out in one hour. Not bad.

I don't go to Marshall's very much - maybe once a year. This time I found a long brightly colored dress for my oldest for $39.99 made by Calvin Klein originally $68.00. My youngest found a cute peach colored dress (pictured above) for $14.99 originally $24.99. Plus I found a cute top for $14.99.  All in all - not too bad.

We're more of a thrift store kind of family. I love hunting for bargains, but every once in a while I love shopping for bargains at regular stores.

I made sure my boy had his Nintendo DS to keep him busy. Believe me it was a life saver. Girls trying on clothes - need I say more.

Some other ways I keep my kids busy and quiet while I'm shopping especially trying on clothes are reading a book, or bringing a doll or small toy to play with. My only rules are: it has to be quiet, it has to be small, they have to carry it, and it can't be sold in the store we are going to. They also have to pay attention where they are walking, so they don't run into people.

Please feel free to share other ways you keep your kids quiet and occupied while you are trying to shop or run errands. I'm all ears :)

9 Uses for Baby Oil

Lately I've needed to use baby oil quite a bit, so I thought I would share some of the ways we use it.

1. Removes Temporary Tattoos
Kids love temporary tattoos and so do some adults. You can get some elaborate ones at fairs, carnivals and amusement parks. They usually last a week or so. However, you're ready for the tattoo to be gone simply soak a cotton ball in baby oil and rub the tattoo away.

2. Removes Make Up
Pretty self explanatory. Put a little bit on a cotton ball and wipe the make up off. Be careful not to get it in your eyes.

3. Massage Oil
Sore and achy muscles always seem to feel better after a nice massage. Baby oil helps your hands slide easier and it moisturizes the skin at the same time.

4. Shaving
All out of shaving cream? Try using a bit of baby oil. It helps the razor slide across your skin with ease. It also is great for after shaving to help nourish dry skin especially in winter.

5. Treating Cradle Cap in Infants
My kids all had cradle cap when they were infants. I would put a small amount of baby oil in their hair prior to a bath and then use a fine tooth comb to remove it. Usually had to do this a little at a time or their head may become red and sore. Wash the baby oil out afterwards.

6. Clean Glass Shower Doors
This works great for cleaning glass shower doors. Put some baby oil on a wash cloth and rub in circles on the inside of the shower doors. They will become crystal clear and it is much cheaper than name brand shower cleaner.

7. Crayons off Painted Walls
If you have kids you know that they sometimes draw in the most inappropriate places. Mine drew all over their bedroom walls. I tried everything and found that baby oil works the best to get the crayon off. Then I followed up with soapy water to get the oil off. Looked like new when I was done.

8. Squeaky Door Hinges and Stuck Windows
A small amount of baby oil on door hinges will help them stop squeaking. It will help windows open and close easier when applied to the sides.

9. Lubricate Keyholes
If you've ever had a key that doesn't want to turn properly or gets stuck. Wipe the key down in oil and then try to open the lock a couple times. This helps lubricate the mechanisms in the lock.

Stay Healthy This Season If You Can

The past 2 weeks my family has been dealing with the fevers, sniffles, coughs and sore throats. Basically feeling icky! Camped out on the sofa eating lots of chicken noodle soup.

Apparently, there is some nasty bug going around because a couple friends and family members have also been sick. I guess my kids didn't want to feel left out. LOL

My oldest and youngest both have had strep throat and a really bad cold. They had a fever for days and sore throat with coughing. However, a round of powerful meds later, they are back to school and feeling a bit better.

Being the holidays, you are naturally are around more people. Stores are crowded. Holiday parties. Plus more people are home (kids are off school, visitors come to stay, etc.) So how can your family avoid the same illnesses?

Here are a couple ways to stay healthy this holiday season.

Wash Your Hands 
Common sense I know but you really do need to wash your hands frequently. If you can't wash your hands at least use hand sanitizer. Just think about how many hands touched your shopping cart handle, door handles or railings on steps or escalators.

Eat Healthy
During the holidays it's tempting to eat all those delicious baked goodies. I'm not saying you can't eat them, just make sure it's in moderation. Make sure you eat some fresh fruits and veggies too. A helpful idea is to bring a veggie platter instead of your homemade Christmas cookies this year to the holiday party.

Get Your Rest
Doing too much, eating too much and stressing over all the stuff you want to do this season can really make you feel run down. Make sure you get a good nights sleep each night and a nap here and there. It could give you more energy and also help you look more refreshed for your festivities.  Give your mind and your body a break.

Exercise
Try to add in some activities that are more physical. Even something as simple as walking the mall can help boost your spirit, reduce stress, and keep your waistline in check.

Clean
Do a thorough cleaning of your home. Every year I would get sick in late December through early January, so I started doing a thorough cleaning of my house in early December. I take a bucket of bleach water and wipe down all the walls, doors, doorknobs, counters, appliances, etc. Any place I feel germs could accumulate. I also clean all Christmas decorations as I put them up. Not just the knick knacks and ornaments. Garland and the Christmas tree both get a good blowing with the blow dryer to get any dust off.

Hopefully these suggestions will help you stay healthy this holiday season. They are common sense, but they really do work.

Alternative Halloween Treat Ideas

While I'm a huge fan of chocolate, however I know there are some of you who prefer not to give out candy for Halloween. Whether you don't want to promote junk food, you are sensitive to food allergies, or just can't afford to buy bags and bags of it.

I've come up with a couple treats you can hand out that aren't going to give the kids (or parents) a sugar rush.

Here are some alternatives to commonly handed out candies.

* Temporary tattoos
* Stickers or sticker sheets
* Glow sticks, bracelets or necklaces
* Spider Rings or bats, skulls, etc
* Pencils - Halloween themed or another theme
* Erasers - again Halloween themed or just fun designs
* Plastic teeth - vampire teeth usually
* Self-inking mini stampers
* Bouncy balls
* Packs of mini crayons, markers or color pencils
* Slime or goop
* Mini containers of bubbles - check wedding section of craft stores
* Small craft projects

Also consider giving out the following. The kids still get a treat and sometimes it's healthier.

* McDonald's coupons - 12 coupons including 4 ice cream cones, 4 apple slices, 4 milk/juice for $1
* Wendy's Jr Frosty coupons - get 10 coupons for $1

One place to check for inexpensive items like this is Oriental Trading Company. They have tons of cute stuff. Check them out.

*By the way this isn't an affiliate link and I make no money from promoting them.

11 Weeks till Christmas

That's right only 11 weeks till Christmas.

It may or may not seem like a long time to you, but in reality you have plenty of time to raise some cash, craft up some presents, and even schedule in some relaxation time.

If you hope to have an enjoyable holiday season than you need to start planning now.

First, make a list of all the things most important to you. Do you enjoy spending time with family and extended family? Take in the sights - light displays, decorations, etc.? Caroling? Shopping? Baking? Helping others less fortunate?

Second, using pencil, block out some time on your calendar for those things you deem important. Pencil in a Saturday afternoon to do some baking or a Friday night to get together with family.

Don't worry if the dates and times change just switch dates around, but make sure you keep the most important stuff on the calendar.

There is still time to get a second/side job to raise a little extra cash so you don't run up the credit cards for the holidays. Lots of stores are hiring temporary help for the season. Even if you can't earn the entire amount needed to cover your holiday bills - you can put a good chunk towards it.

If a job outside the home isn't an option for you - you can always make some of the gifts you will give this year. A warm blanket, a meaningful photo framed, some delicious cookies, pie or cake, etc. Use your unique talents to show others you care.

There is still plenty of time to get creative and make this a wonderful holiday season. In the coming weeks I will share some easy and affordable gifts you can make and give the special people in your life.

Pics of the Week - October 3, 2012

This past weekend my family went over my parents' home to help install some hard wood floors. My handsome hubby, my sister and brother and his family were all there helping out.

Unfortunately, like almost all home improvement projects we start it was difficult. There's always an element we don't plan for.  In this case, we had to level all the floors because over the past 30 years they have settled and became quite un-level. After 1 hour of using a belt sander we decided it was time to rent a machine to get it done much quicker.

In this case, we had to level all the floors because over the past 30 years they have settled and became quite un-level. After 1 hour of using a belt sander we decided it was time to rent a machine to get it done much quicker. Hence the pic above.

My Dad went to the local Home Depot and rented the big sander. If you are doing a home improvement project that requires a tool you don't currently have and probably won't use again consider renting it. Search your local phone book or google the nearest "tool rentals" in your area.

While the adults were busy helping sand, lay out boards and nail them into place. The kids were playing. The youngest three decided they wanted to go outside and catch crickets. Yep you read that right. Crickets. GROSS!

Normally my kids are completely scared of bugs. They even think there is a bug in their rooms and they refuse to sleep there until it's killed or put outside. Not sure where they get their fear of bugs. LOL

So this is a photo of the girls with their box full of crickets. They even added leaves and water, so they could keep them. NOT!

That's this week's little glimpse into our lives.

Icky Bugs

So I'm really a girly girl. I don't like bugs or creepy crawly things.

This is a little critter I found on my door frame this afternoon.  So how do you keep all these intruders out of your home?

Here are a couple tips I've learned.

Check your windows
Make sure all your windows are sealed well with caulk. Gaps let in air but also bugs.  Also make sure there aren't rips in screens.

Close your door
It's pretty obvious to make sure your doors are completely closed. If you have kids - you know this can be a problem.

Keep plants away from your house
This may not be so obvious but keep plants, mulch and other vegetation away from the outside of your home. The reason is bugs live in plants, dirt, mulch, etc and you don't want them living right next to your house.  Living close to the house could send them inside looking for a warm or cool place to hide.

More importantly how do you get rid of the bugs if they should manage to get in.

* Swiffer floor duster - I replace the dusting pad with a paper towel or piece of paper. It's a wonderful way to squish a critter on your ceiling.  I call this my "bug squisher".  It works the best on spiders.

* Vacuum - use the long extension handle to suck up the bugs. This works really well for cave crickets that like to hop away. It's gross, but doesn't kill them.

* Phone book  - I've also heard of people dropping a phone book on top of bugs especially crickets who like to hop away.

* Glue traps - these work if you don't have other pets. My mother has used these quite successfully for years to catch small bugs. I just worry about my cat or dog getting stuck to them, so we don't use them.

 Or you can do what I do a lot and ask someone to get it for you. LOL :)

Organize Your Kid's School Papers

If you have kids in school than you know all about the mountains of papers they can bring home each week.

I happen to have 3 in school and they bring home lots of papers each week. Some are important like field trip permission slips, fundraisers, graded tests, but some are just classwork, already checked homework assignments and flyers.

First: Sort
Each weekday as soon as my kids come home I sort through their take home folders while they are working on their homework.

Second: Trash
I immediately throw away any papers that we don't need to save. This includes: already checked homework, classwork, doodles, etc. I also throw away graded tests that don't need to be saved. The only exception is the middle school asks the kids keep all paperwork in their binder until the semester exams.

Third: Add to Calendar
Next I add any important information to my calendar and file the paper in my planner. I make a note of any special dress days (school spirit days, etc.), days when the kids are supposed to send in special items (cereal boxes for art, completed reports, and projects) and field trip days.

Fourth: File
The other type of paperwork we routinely get is papers asking for money. Either field trip permission slips, school photo order forms, donations or money for project supplies. Unfortunately we get a fair amount of these forms. We make a note of them on our monthly budget worksheet and then file them with our bills to be paid. On one income we've learned to budget everything!

We also receive items we want to file away for future reference. These items include: school directories, parent/student handbooks, course syllabus and other similar items.

These simple steps save us time dealing with their paperwork and we can find what we need quickly. Please feel free to share how your family organizes school paperwork.

Wild Card Wednesdays - Videos, Photos and Children Online

Are your children online? What about their pictures? Are they on Facebook? What about Flickr or YouTube? Those harmless photos and videos you have posted of your children may be online forever.

While they may look innocent to you - you never know who else may be looking at them.

Kids online are usually only thinking of kids their age accessing their profile or page. It's up to us as parents/adults to monitor what they are doing online. Yes, even teenagers. How many times do we have to hear about a teenager going to meet someone they met online only to find out they were a child predator?

While I personally don't recommend letting kids have their own Facebook, MySpace, etc. page online - they are your kids and you will do what you want.

My point is please monitor what your kids put online because any photo can be taken from any website. All you have to do is press the Print Screen button and paste it into a Paint program. There you have the photo to look at any time you wish or to illegally upload to another site. Would you really want some sleazy person looking at your son or daughter or posting it online?

Tidy Tuesday - Help Organizing Your Kids Room

Are you sick and tired of cleaning up your kids' rooms? Tired of tripping over toys left on the floor? Are you always stepping on matchbox cars, doll shoes, or blocks?

Here is one really easy way to help your children clean up after themselves.

Storage totes - they are incredible organizing tools for many reasons. Here are just a few reasons to consider putting your child's toys inside clear, plastic, storage containers.

See through
When containers are see through children can  see what's inside. They are able to choose the container that has the blocks, cars, dolls, crayons, etc. instead of pulling them all out opening each one in search of the items they want.

Easy to get out and put away
Children are able to handle smaller containers about the size of a shoe box. Most boxes are easy for kids to open and close. Plus if the containers are put down lower kids can reach certain items unassisted. Just please consider keeping containers holding smaller pieces up higher because of the possible choking hazards for younger children.

Easy clean - up
Clean up is quicker when all the child has to do it put everything inside the storage box. Children can dump everything out of the box and quickly put everything back in.


Durable
Most are made of hard plastic. They last much longer than cardboard boxes or plastic shopping bags. They are also much easier to stack.

Sorting
Children can practice sorting their toys. When cleaning up their rooms they can sort the items according to the different containers. Make it a game.

Just a few ways to help children learn to keep their rooms clean. Using clear storage containers can help your child learn to put their own toys away, help keep their room a bit more organized, and maybe help save you a couple headaches. :-)