I am a mother of 2 wonderful boys, a step-mother to one beautiful young woman, and grandmother to one energetic young boy. I care for my mother full time, which makes my buget very tight. I have made it my life's mission to make sure that my boys get the most out of their childhoods, even if we can't afford much. So we have come up with ways to do things together that don't cost a whole lot, but pay off in even bigger ways for not only us, but those around us as well. We make family our first priority, and that means that we spend hours on end crafting, playing games, exploring, and helping our community together as a family. I just feel lucky that I was so blessed as to get the chance to be the mother that I am, to the children that I have. And love to get and share new ideas that will enhance that experience.
It may sound strange, but Keopectate, or Peptobismol are great fly deterants. Simply place a small dish or the lid from a maynaise jar, filled with whichever you like in the area that the flies are bothering you. For some reason, they are repelled by it, and it doesn't stink up the house like so many comercial products do. Replace the dish every week or so, as it dries out. Depending on your climate, you may want to do it more often if you notice it drying out more quickly.
There are some great fly tubes (the papers don't work nearly as well) that you can get at Walgreens. I never see them at Walmart or the other big chains, but Walgreens always has them year round. They don't smell nearly as bad, and catch way more flies than paper or other traps I have tried. ... View related article.
We make handmade gifts every year for Xmas, Bdays, and any event that comes up. My kids and I love to make them together for everyone we know and love. We start working on personal, homemade gifts in January, then all year long. I have about a thousand ideas. You could give him an ornament that is filled with a lock of your hair, and a poem written about how special he is for you. Or I love the memory box idea. You could engrave the back of the compass watch with one of the many lessons that stick out which he taught you. That way he will know that his wisdom made a difference to you, and will last throughout time.
Since this is your father, I would go one step further. I would maybe have a memory quilt made up. You can have pictures transfered onto fabric, then sew them together into a quilt that he can enjoy forever. Plus, you will be creating a family heirloom that can be passed on forever. It would go one better if you used fabric scraps that either were from or reminded you of each picture event. Like part of a picnic blanket for a picture taken from a family picnic, or white satin bordering a wedding picture. For my dad, because he loved his ties, we would have used a bunch of his ties to make something for him. Before he retired, he almost never was seen without a tie on. After he retired, you almost never saw him with one. I would find something personal to him to really make it special, then back it with a soft layer so he can snuggle up under his memory blanket and remember you each and every time. ... View related article.
That is so cool. I thought I was the only one that did stuff like that. Every year we make some sort of heart shaped meal for Valentines. Sometimes we make meatloaf, sometimes we make heart shaped meatballs, and have spagetti, other times we make heart shaped burgers, or just use red food coloring and make red pasta with heart shaped sausage slices in it. This year we are making puffed pancakes with cherry and strawberry filling, with heart shaped eggs ( we use those pancake shape irons, and make them pink with food coloring), and valentines sprinkles.
I just love to hear that other people have fun with holidays like we do as well. Thanks so much for your post. You just brightened my day. ... View related article.
This might sound a little strange, but I love to simply cook them in Golden Squash soup. The soup already has all the seasoning needed, and makes the meat so tasty and tender. My kids gobble it up, and they are pretty picky eaters at times.
If you do want to spice it up a bit, try sauteing some fresh, minced garlic and onions and adding them to the soup. I like to saute them in EVOO myself, but using a pat of real butter also adds great flavor. ... View related article.
That is a great idea. We usually sing songs and play games together when we travel anywhere. My kids love to play "Sally Went To The Grocery Store".
The first person says "Sally went to the grocery store, and bought something that begins with..." and picks the first letter or letters of whatever it is they want the others to guess. (PB would be for peanut butter, or C would be for cookies, etc) then whoever guesses the correct answer gets to go next and so on.
We played this game when I was a young child, and I continued the tradition with my own kids. It helps to teach children what letters words begin with (for the young ones we keep it simple, then get progressively harder as they get older and more educated), and is a great way to avoid fighting or whatever in the car. Everyone gets involved, and nobody gets bored. ... View related article.
In MN we have a website www.TwinCitiesFreeMarket.org where you can either find free items or let others know that you have them. You have to pick up whatever the items are, from wherever they are being made available. They have everything from moving boxes and flower pots, to furnature and appliances. Sometimes the ads state that the people are moving and there is only a limited time to pick them up. Other times they state that you just have to contact the person to make arrangements to pick up the items. This is a great way to merge what you are talking about with a wider audience. We have used this site more than a few times to find items that would otherwise be heading to the city landfills. I just love this idea. ... View related article.
I suggest this for all stains. Try LA's Totally Awesome. There are different dilution amounts listed on the side of the bottle. It works the best on everything I have ever tried it on, and only costs about $1. You can only find it at your local $1 stores. ... View related article.
I would turn the item inside out, then try using Goo Gone or some other product of the like. It is what is suggested for removing Badge Magic from scout uniforms, and should work to remove cracked applicays and such from your shirts as well. Be sure to wash the garment well after doing this. ... View related article.
I can't guarantee it, but have found that this product works wonders on practically everything that I have ever tried it on. Use "LA's Totally Awesome" which can only be found at your local dollar stores. On the side of the bottle it gives you about a hundred different ways that you can dilute and use it to clean almost anything from basic kitchen spills, to carpets, to ovens. This stuff works great, and only costs about $1 per bottle. I swear by it. I was able to get melted cough drop stains out of my carpet that nothing else would remove using it, as well as get mascara off of the bathroom walls (young children raided my makeup). This stuff is just a miracle in a bottle if you ask me. Let me note that I am not a sales person for this product, I am just a very satisfied customer. ... View related article.
For Xmas this year we made ornaments using the candy molds found at the Scout Shop (They have cub, boy, and eagle scout emblems on one sheet) and plaster of paris. Then we painted them and gave them to several of our scouting friends. For the centerpieces, we have hot glued some of these to painted craft sticks and worked them into silk arrangements. It works great, and is extremely inexpensive to do. We made over 800 ornaments this year for less than $0.05 a piece.
You can also get Fluer De Lis paper punches and make your own confetti to spread across the table.
I like to make flowers our of lollipops and tissue paper. I paint the sticks green and take squares of tissue in different colors, then poke a hole in the middle of the papers and crinkle them up around the candy part of the sucker. Stick these into dry floral foam. For the banuet you can use the theme colors of tissue to make the flowers. Then the boys can pick one to take home as a treat.
Gather several of the wooden die cuts that you find at craft stores. Glue them onto a photo frame that is holding a picture of your den. The die cuts represent different activities that the den has done over the past year. (Camping, fishing, zoo animals, etc.) ... View related article.
