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Outdoor Fun and Pool Care

POOL MAINTENANCE AND CARE

So if you read the previous post, now is the time to head out and get a great above ground pool. This has seriously been the best money I have ever spent as the kids LOVE the pool and are in it just about everyday during the hot months. This actually saves us money in the long run because the kids aren’t going to the public pool as often and don’t beg to go to an expensive water park or play area. Instead all they need is a bunch of good ol’ fun in their own yard with a few friends, some lemonade and cucumber sandwiches and they are set for the day.

What wasn’t great and was more than unexpected was the fact that the pool needed care. I figured if you fill it up with water and just let your kids enjoy it, that would be enough, but I was very wrong. The first thing I discovered was…

DEBRIS

Yep, it was really hard keeping stuff from floating in (or shh….dying in) the pool. In fact it was pretty much an every minute sort of problem. Bugs would get in there, leaves would get in there, bigger bugs…you get my point.

I discovered that I needed a POOL SKIMMER  and a VACUUM, which I found online at Walmart.

My Sunshine Pool Maintenance Kit I found this simple version for $20.00 Sunshine pool maintenance kit which includes a small skimmer and vacuum, that are great for above ground pools 10 to 12 feet in diameter, but for larger pools, you may want something like The Heritage Pool Maintenance Kit which is meant for pools 48 to 52 inches deep.

Heritage Deluxe Pool Maintenance Kit for Pools 48" to 52"

Also you need a POOL COVER, a large tarp will work, or if you wanna get really fancy you can buy a solar pool cover that will warm your pool, while keeping it protected from debris, when you are not using it.

Pool Solar Cover, 12'-14'

So with the basic vacuum and skimmer for debris removal, I really thought I had conquered the pool nasties and my kids were once again enjoying themselves until a few weeks went by and I found Algae growing in the pool. At first I just brushed it away with a broom, but as the days went by, my pool turned totally green.

I have to say that it was absolutely disgusting and I was really kicking myself for thinking that I could expect that my $149 dollar pool to be a worthwhile investment over the years.  I had to tell the kids that they could no longer swim in their pool for fear of becoming toxic green avengers. Then, I had to deal with a lot of long faces, so I went to the internet and discovered my problem. I had not chemically treated my pool…at all. Now, I feared all the microbiol ickies my kids were being subjected to and rushed out to find the chemicals I was missing.

First I had to SHOCK THE POOL. Which is a blast of chlorine that kills the algae and cleans the pool. Specialty Pool Products has a great selection of starter kits and water testing kits at reasonable prices and since most stores don’t carry these chemicals it is sometimes easier to buy them online.

Spring Start-Up Chemical Kits

Much to my joyous surprise “shocking” the pool will clear up the algae and make the water swim-able again, which made my kids very happy.

After (or hopefully before) you do an algae treatment, make sure to test the water and maintain the chemical balance by using balancing chemicals. You really don’t need to go crazy with chemicals in an above ground pool, but you do need to use them otherwise you are waiting for an unsanitary, gross disaster.

POOL FUN

Add a few items from The Pool Store is a one stop online shop for everything your above ground pool will need for family fun in the sun. I love the fun children’s inflatables their site offers.

Water Wheel

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By Stacy – April 26, 2011

Summer Time Cool Blues

Summer is coming and that means school is out and the average kid is sleeping an extra three hours each day until noon or so. It’s what they do when the temperatures drop and they have no place to be.

Most parents hate to see their kids wasting their days away on television and video games. This time of year used to be about getting outside and playing until you fell. In the good old days, we used to grab our swimsuits, some sunscreen, and a hose. We sprayed each other for hours running around the backyard and on the trampoline so when we fell we would get drenched from the soaked rubber. Summer was about fun and getting a nice tan. That time is back!

We didn’t have a lot of reasons to be inside, and kid shows weren’t that big of a deal for us or nearly as addicting as playing outside with our friends. Now parents have to coax their kids to get outside or find something to lure them off the controller. Never fear Mom because we have something for you and them!

First off, perhaps if they had something fun to do and stay cool at the same time, they would use it. At the same time, you need to keep some money in the bank; it’s a good thing we only give you deals then.

They love to swim. Most ages will get wet when it’s hot, especially when they have friends over to splash around with. Pools are insanely expensive but there are cheaper alternatives to try instead.

Once again I go back to one of my favorite places for good deals: Target and the internet. Right now at Target stores and their website target.com, moms can find spectacular summer deals on patio furniture, pool towels, swim suits,and iced tea pitchers. The kids will need them when they are outside all day playing in the new pool.

Walmart and walmart.com have swimming pools on sale for $199 or a slightly smaller version for only $149. For the younger kids or the wee little ones to play with you, this small, shallow pool is only $18! View all the fabulous deals right here and even arrange to buy online then pick up in your local store when you’re ready!

The recession is still stinging wallets and hindering job growth so for most families, now is not the time to be buying big items with gigantic price tags; but that shouldn’t mean going without fun and good times together.

In addition to pools or instead of them, many children and moms can purchase fun water games for the outdoors that are even cheaper, about $20 or so and also safer than a swimming pool and no maintenance. Toys R Us has a big sale going on now for great prices on outdoor activities to keep cool like sprinkler sets and Slip N Slides for cheap. This cute little rainbow sprinkler set is fun for young kids to run through to get wet but not risk drowning or falling into a pool if they don’t yet know how to swim.

In addition to their sales, shipping is also free on most of the items, right to your home!

When I was a kid, the Slip N Slide was the coolest thing. We used to take it to the Colorado River along the California and Arizona border, put it on the shore bank so we would slide right into the water on an inner tube, it was so much, and even the old farts joined in! Today, they make a double and triple lane racer set so more people can slide together and race down the track!

Shop these links provided to get excellent deals on summer fun and to keep the kids from vegging on the couch all summer eating junk and getting fat or poisoning their brains with too much Glee and Call of Duty. For even more deals, you can go into your local stores, or search sites like Amazon and Ebay to further compare prices and possibly save even more money than even summer sales in retail stores.

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By jenny@shoppermedia.com – April 25, 2011

Earth Day, How to Celebrate as a Family

Well today is Earth day, a little celebrated holiday in most spheres of the globe, but actually a day that is growing in importance to our children and the future generations of humanity. For without our earth, we are kinda of at a loss. If we continue to live as we have over the last hundred years or so, or evolution and need for convenience and comfort, may just oust us from our digs, so here are a few ways to raise awareness in our families about the importance of our earth, on Earth Day.

EARTH DAY NETWORK

For a comprehensive look at Earth Day, go to earthday.org which is a website, that is managed year round, that provides a resource for earth conscious living.

On the site they promote an online pledge called Acts of Green where you can make an online pledge to making the earth a greener place to live. You may want to consider making pledges with your family.

WHITE HOUSE FOUNDATION FOR ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

President Obama has instituted a new foundation for energy and the environment which asks Americans to consider “Pick 5 For the Environment” which encourages people to pick five ways they will commit to living a greener, more environmentally conscious life.

Backyard Conservation - cover

5 WAYS TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY AS A FAMILY

Climatemama.com has a few really fun ideas about how to celebrate Earth Day together as a family.

1. GET OUTSIDE

If the weather permits, take the family out on a picnic or BBQ outside and spend your day playing games outside. Even board games played on a blanket outside can be a lot of fun on Earth Day. You can take a family hike, bring a picnic to the park or use your backyard as a natural escape.

2. WATCH EARTH FRIENDLY MOVIES

Depending on the age of your children, plan a movie night that features earth conscious movies, like AVATAR and WALL.E. You can easily download movies to your computer at Amazon Instant Movies or visit to your local Red Box kiosk and pick up earth friendly titles. About.com has a great list of kids documentaries and movies that you may want to find for you kids, among the titles are:

LIFE, narrated by Oprah Winfrey, which is a follow up to the popular series Planet Earth and explores both micro and macroscopic beings.

Disney Nature’s Earth which follows three animal families across the globe.

Arctic Tale which focuses on a family of polar bears in the north and charts their incredible journey over the years and the devastating affect global warming is having on their environment.

March of the Penguins an award winning documentary that follows Emperor Penguins and the male penguins march to raise their children and continue their species.

3. PLANT A TREE

It is a well known fact that trees and plants are good for our environment as their green leaves produce oxygen, homes for animals and organisms and beautify our world. In honor of earth day consider planting a tree with your family. You can chart its growth by years and enjoy the beauty it provides. Research your local nursery to find fruit trees, shade trees or flower bearing trees for your house, apartment or neighborhood.

Starkbros has a great selection of trees that can be purchased online. And while it won’t arrive in time for earth day, you may want to map out the place you want to put your tree in preparation for its planting then pick the tree together as a family.

2-N-1 Classic Pie Apple

4. RECYCLE

The easiest thing you can do as a family to help our planet is recycle, re-use and reduce. One of the largest problems our earth faces is excess waste, so if you can help minimize your family’s carbon imprint on the planet you will be making a significant contribution to the earth’s longevity.

Find out ways you can recycle in your community by utilizing city recycle bins, if they are provided or by finding your local recycling center. Try and re-use plastic containers as arts projects or storage and do your best to reduce your use of waste creating products, like using cloth shopping bags, buy in food items in bulk an avoid fast food restaurants that generate tons of waste every year.

5. SHARE

Talk to other families and friends about becoming earth conscious and choosing greener ways to live.

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By Stacy – April 22, 2011

This week’s Deals

Well, this is a big week for most and also a great time to get good deals on cool things. Here are just a few things you may want to snatch up.

CRAYOLA ILLUMINATION STATION $14.99 plus $5.00 shipping

Crayola Illumination Station

http://kids.woot.com/

What’s fun about this little toy is that it teaches kids how to use hand and eye cordination to create beautiful pictures by tracing the landscapes from slide provided or your own pictures and photographs and use the many character templates they have provided. It also comes a projector to project the images created. This is a fun toy that inspires artistic exploration and creativity. I’m gonna look into this for my little one’s birthday that coming up.

31 cent BASKIN ROBBINS ICE CREAM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2011

http://www.baskinrobbins.com/ScoopNight/

This is Baskin Robbins, fifth annual 31 cent ice cream night to raise funds for the Fallen Fighters Foundation. On Wednesday, April 27 (yep next Wednesday) you can go to any participating Baskin Robbins store and get any scoop in the store for only $.31, this is a great way to celebrate with the family. The promotion runs from 5pm to 10pm and expect there to be crowds, which actually makes the night even more fun, cause usually you will see a friend or acquaintance or two in line. Mark you calendars for ice cream night!

TODAY ONLY (4/21/20011) 20% ANY JET BLUE TICKET BOOKED FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN 9/7 and 10/29

Follow this Bradsdeals.com to the Jet Blue offer that gives you 20% off any one way or round trip ticket if book today and TODAY ONLY for travel between September 9, 2011 by using the promotion code FALL2011 at checkout after placing your oder.

JetBlue Airways”

This is a fun deal and just think, after the summer is over you can plan a little getaway with the family to help stave off the Fall blues, so visit Grandma or the Bahamas anywhere Jet Blue travels and get an extra 20% off you ticket price. But remember, you have to book it TODAY.

30% OFF PERSONALIZED BABY GIFTS FROM PERSONALIZATION MALL, PLUS AN EXTRA 15% OFF WHEN YOU ADD THE COUPON CODE BRAD15

The Personalization Mall is running a great sale at the moment where most of their personalized baby items are up to 30% off. All personalization is free and the shipping starts at $6, but if you add the coupon code BRAD15 you will get an extra 15% off of your purchase, which makes this a really great deal.  I personally love the “I’m a big…sister/brother” shirts, those are always fun and keep your family easy to spot in crowds.

Personalized Girl Cartoon Character Clothes - I'm The Sister - 7176

TOLO SALE THROUGH TOTSY

The private mom shopping site (only need give them your email dress to sign up to the site) has a great sale on TOLO Toys which are durable, developmentally exceptional and cute. Click here to see the cute things they have for sale. But make sure you act fast, cause this great sale is only going for two more days.

product-thumb-fpoThese spinning bears, were originally  $15.00 and are now only $6.95 fun deal especially for baby showers or friends and family with young kids.

PACIFIC GEEK $4.99 UNLIMITED SHIPPING AND LIQUIDATION SALE

PacificGeek.com - Best Selection of Computer Parts

Pacific Geek is offering $4.99 shipping on your ENTIRE ORDER for two days only as well as having a Liquidation sale where you can get this Dell Wireless Laptop for ONLY $129.99. This is an amazing deal for a laptop that is usually over $300. Also you can upgrade it with whatever extras you want by just using their drop down menus and piecing together all a carte features priced individually. When you pay so little for a laptop it is worth it to add all that you will want. They have two other AMAZING laptop deals on there site as well. This Dell Wireless and this Dell Widescreen

Dell D420 Core Duo Ultraportable Widescreen Notebook Price Mistake Yes Only $169!

Posted in coupon codes, discounts, Family Fun, Last Minute Deals, Online Freebies, Online shopping, ShopforBaby, ShopforMom, Shopping deals.

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By Stacy – April 21, 2011

Passover For Jews and Non Jews to Celebrate and Enjoy

I will admit that I am not Jewish, nor is anyone in my family, however, I have been very fortunate to have been exposed to the Jewish faith and religion by my friends over the course of my life. When I became a parent, I vowed to introduce my children to world culture and religions. Therefore our family observes (but not in the traditional sense)  Jewish holidays such as Hanukkah and Passover. Since these holidays coincide with Christian holidays, I feel it is important to offer my children a broader insight of the world and view it as my obligation as a parent to raise mindful and culturally sensitive kids.

PASSOVER

WikiHow.com has a great article on preparing a passover meal for non-Jewish friends. Now if you are Jewish and are celebrating Passover with your family, you may consider inviting some of your non-Jewish friends to celebrate this very important religious holiday. As Passover is one of the most spiritual holiday in the Jewish faith, it is a very important event. Passover is celebrated for 8 days and represents the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and their freedom from slavery. On the first two days of the celebration, families host a Seder, which is a traditional meal and is eaten while the story of the Jews is told by reading the Haggadah throughout the meal.

President Obama just host his third annual Seder dinner yesterday at the white house with his Jewish and Non-Jewish friends and family. Here is an article about our president’s tradition. http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/matzah-balls-at-the-white-house-obama-hosts-third-passover-seder-1.356783

Passover seder White House Obama

SEDER

The Seder dinner consists of traditional foods that represent different parts of the Exodus story, which highlights the value of freedom for all. A Seder plate is placed in the middle of the table and on it are a collection of symbolic foods such as an egg, bitter herbs, shank bone, charoseth (apple dried fruit and nut mixture)lettuce, bowl of salt water and parsley. Here is an easy recipe and guide for preparing your Seder.

http://www.shalom-peace.com/passover.html

HAGGADAH

The Haggadah is a book that tells the story of Passover, filled with song, stories, questions and blessing this book teaches the family about the Passover and its importance to the Jewish faith. There are many versions of the book that can either be purchased or downloaded for you Seder dinner here are some online resources for the Haggadah.

Here is a link to a complete version of the Haggadah while this is not a traditional Haggadah, it does give the Hebrew and English version of the ceremony.

Here is a link to the 30 Minute Seder if you have young kids or a very busy family, and if you are not religiously Jewish, you may want to do an abbreviated version of the Seder for your family, given their attention span. If you are using the Seder to educate your family about Jewish history and inspire the ideals of freedom for all, using a Hagaddah, such as this is an excellent idea.

This link is for the Haggadah we use, it is a Do It Yourself version were you can customize the Seder to your needs. For us, we use the child friendly version with coloring pages and songs sung to recognizable tunes. This gives the kids a general education and is very inspirational and joyous. Use the link above to create your own personalized Haggadah for a very special Seder.

PASSOVER FOR KIDS

Passover, especially in a Non-Jewish household, can be a long service for kids to sit through, so if you have young children, try tailoring the Seder for their needs and add activities, like songs and crafts to the evening.

Here is a website tailored to teach kids about Passover.

http://www.akhlah.com/holidays/pesach/passover.php

Here is a fun activity you can do with your kids at home, make Passover puppets.

Here is the link to the picture below…http://annkoffsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/passpup1.jpg

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By Stacy – April 19, 2011

Its Time For Easter

I have to admit that I love Easter, I’m a bit of a sucker for a good egg hunt and a basket full of brightly colored, sugar laden, items replicating bunnies, chicks and eggs. I think I like Easter so much because it reminds me of renewal and rebirth as the sun warms us again and tiny things start to grow. If you are celebrating Easter as a religious event, this too has a meaning of renewal as it celebrates Jesus arising from his death and in the Jewish faith this time of year represents celebration and the release from oppression, so however  you chose to celebrate this time of year as snow melts and flowers bloom, make sure you take time to enjoy all the goodness and wonder around you. Then…go shopping!!!

EASTER BASKETS

Crafting our kid’s Easter baskets is a lot of fun to do, but if you are busy or at loss for ideas, sometimes its also exciting to order ready made baskets delivered to your door. 1800baskets.com is running an Easter promotion at the moment, where you will a free upgrade to 2 day shipping with the order of any Easter gifts, in addition to this savings, they are also offering 25% off all Easter related items with the promotion code EASTER25. The site offers a lot of really yummy Easter themed treats like cake pops, petit fours and beautifully made baskets. Make sure you place your order by 4/20 at 2pm EST to take advantage of the expedited shipping.

Happy Easter Special Gift Basket

Of course you can’t go wrong with THE HAPPY EASTER STORE which is your one stop shop for everything Easter related and if you “like” their Facebook Page you will get 20% off your entire order. Of you shop now, you will have your Easter goodies just in time.

Easter BasketsEaster BasketsHoppy Easter Basket

EASTER CRAFTS

Maybe you’ve got the Easter basket covered and you would rather spend family time together doing crafts, like egg dying, center piece making and much more to celebrate the upcoming holiday.

Disney’s Family Fun has some really cute craft ideas, so go check out their website, but my favorite is this one:

Dye-ving Dudes

LITTLE EGG DIVERS….seriously aren’t they just the cutest things. I have a suspicion that ours will look nothing like this, but we’ll take a stab at it. This is what you will need.

Egg dye

White eggs, hard-boiled

Permanent marker

3/4-inch round white adhesive labels

1-inch-wide water-bottle lids

Small rubber bands

White glue or glue gun

Flexible straws

Self-adhesive foam

Small clear glasses or bowls (optional)

Small pitcher (optional)

For each snorkeler, dye the bottom third of an egg, then let it dry. Draw eyes on a label and adhere it to a water-bottle lid. Slip the rubber band around the egg, about a quarter of the way down. Glue the lid over a rubber band.Trim a straw 1 inch above and 2 inches below the flexible section. Bend it into a snorkel shape and glue it in place. Cut foam flippers (trace our template ). Glue them to the egg, adhesive side down, and let dry. Stick the adhesive side to the display surface, or, if you like, to the inside of a small glass or bowl. With the pitcher, gently pour in dye until the egg is partly submerged.

Kaboose.com has a host of different crafts to try, but my favorite are these beautiful tissue flowers. I think I will work with my kids to create an amazing centerpiece for our brunch table.

Check out this fun instruction video.

tissue-paper-flowers-613141-v of these fun flowers…

PETIT FOURS

Finally, these looked yummy to me, I love petit fours and will be attempting to make them for brunch, wish me luck.

Diana’s Deserts has this yummy recipe.

Ingredients:
For Cake:
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
3 egg whites

For Fruit Glaze:
12 oz. apricot or raspberry preserves (or heated jelly may be used instead)
3 tbsp. water

For Icing:
9 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Food coloring, (optional)

Instructions:
For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch (23cm) square baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gently fold into batter.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F (180 C) for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a plate or cooling rack; then chill cake in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Remove cake from refrigerator. Cut a thin slice off each side of chilled cake. Cut cake into 1-1/4-inch (3.175 cm) squares. Place squares 1/2 inch (1.27 cm) apart on a cooling rack over a 15 x 10 x 1-inch (38cmX25cmX2.5cm) pan. Apply fruit glaze (See Fruit Glaze Preparation Below)) evenly over tops and sides of cake squares, allowing excess to drip off. Let dry. Repeat if necessary to thoroughly coat squares. Let glaze dry completely.

For Preparing The Fruit Glaze:
In a medium size saucepan, heat preserves with the 3 tbsp. water on low heat. Drizzle or spread a thin layer of heated preserves over cooled tops and sides of petit fours before icing. (If using jelly, you do not need to add water to it, just heat jelly in saucepan on low heat and spread over cooled tops and sides of petit fours).

To Prepare Icing:
Combine all icing ingredients in the top of a double boiler. Heat over boiling water to lukewarm. Pour icing over tops and sides of petit fours. Once they are set, they should be coated with icing again. After icing hardens, decorate tops of each petit four with a tiny edible sugar flower and/or leaf.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen petit fours.

Posted in Easy Meal Planning, Family Fun, Holiday Meals, Last Minute Deals, Online shopping, ShopforBaby, ShopforMom, Shopping deals, Uncategorized.

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By Stacy – April 18, 2011

Deals for the Week

Here are some great deals for this weekend…

JC PENNY 20% OFF

JC Penny is offering 20% off almost everything in stores and online On April 17, 2011 this coupon will be good in stores, Sunday and April 17 and 18 online. This is a friends and family deal and is an additional savings, that can be added to any current specials or promotions, but can not be used with other coupons.

Here is a link to the coupon http://f.jcpenneyem.com/i/2/95827765/friendsemail.html

To use this savings online enter BESTPALS when prompted for a coupon code at check out.

BODYSHOP 20% OFF

The Body Shop is having a Spring sale online where when you add the code SPRING20, you get an additional 20% off of your entire order. The Body Shop is also running a few promotions at the moment, where you can buy 3 Signature Collection Body Care items and receive 3 free, that’s six items for the price of three, plus an additional 20% off. They are also offering 2 candles for $30 and few other limited time specials that will offer additional savings.  This coupon code expires 4/17

Buy 3, Get 3 FREE Signature Collection > Shop now.

CHILDREN’S PLACE 20% OFF

The Children’s Place is offering 20% off your entire order when you use the code TAX11 until 4/17.  The new summer looks have just arrived and they are running an up to 50% off promotion for dressy looks, with the additional 20%, that would make an incredible savings on beautiful Easter dresses and dress wear for boys.

Cool Blues, Hot Looks! Starting at $6

VERIZON PALM PIXI PLUS 3G TOUCHSCREEN SMARTPHONE WITH 8GB MEMORY AND WIFI $39.99

Daily Steals, has found this goodie, which is a great deal, if you have a Verizon plan as smartphones usually run hundreds of dollars.

SUBWAY CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY, BUY ONE FOOT LONG SUB AND GET ANOTHER FREE 4/16

Tomorrow is Subway’s customer appreciation day and to celebrate they are offering a buy one get one free deal on a foot long subway sandwich, just buy one sandwich and get one of equal or lesser value for free. You don’t need a coupon, just head into any subway sandwich shop tomorrow to take advantage of this great deal.

Here is a link to their Facebook page describing the deal.  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=200340033330372

HOME MADE BUBBLES

DefinitelyDeals.com has a fun recipe for homemade bubbles that you can either put into your kids Easter baskets or make as a great family project. Below is the recipe featured on their website.

Best Homemade Bubble Solution

1 cup water
2 tablespoons light karo syrup or 2 tablespoons glycerin
4 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
Mix together and have fun!

Homemade Colored Bubbles

1 cup granulated soap or soap powder
1 quart warm water
Liquid food coloring
Plastic straws
Small juice cans
Dissolve soap in warm water. Stir in food coloring until desired color is attained. Give each child a can about 1/3 full of mix and a plastic straw to blow the bubbles.

Fancy Homemade Bubbles

1 cup water
2 tablespoons liquid detergent
1 tablespoon glycerin
1 teaspoon sugar
Mix all ingredients together until sugar dissolves. Enjoy!

DISNEY’S FAMILY.COM EASTER BRUNCH RECIPES

Disney’s Family.com has some great recipes for Easter brunch and since Easter is next week, you can browse some of the dishes and see if they are right for your family. I think the asparagus bread pudding looks amazing, but I’m a sucker for melted cheese…yum.

Asparagus Bread Pudding

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
1 loaf of French bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch slices
1 bunch of asparagus, washed, bottoms snapped off, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5 large eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk (or a mixture of low-fat milk and cream or half and half)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon snipped chives
1/2 pound cheese, grated (try Swiss, cheddar, Monterey jack, or a combination)

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 and grease a large casserole dish. Place the bread on a large baking sheet and toast for 10 or so minutes, until it is dry to the touch, but not browned.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and cook the asparagus pieces for 3 minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and herbs.
  3. Arrange the bread slices in the casserole dish, overlapping as little as possible, then arrange the asparagus over the bread, sprinkle with the cheese, and pour the custard over all, pressing down any bread pieces that aren’t submerged. Allow to sit for half an hour or so, so that the bread can absorb the egg mixture–or else refrigerate it, covered, overnight. Bake it in the middle of the oven for 35-45 minutes, until it is puffed and brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving

This also looks good,

BACON AND EGG STUFFED TOMATOS

bacon and egg stuffed tomatoes

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

    6 large tomatoes
    salt and pepper
    6 hard boiled eggs-chopped
    3/4 c diced celery
    1/3 c mayonnaise (reduced or fat free is fine)
    6 slices turkey bacon-cooked and crumbled
    2 T chopped fresh parsley
    1/4 t salt
    1/4 t pepper
    paprika

Directions

  1. Wash tomatoes thoroughly. Cut tops from tomatoes; scoop out pulp and seeds, leaving shells intact. Discard seeds and chop tomato pulp. Drain tomato shells, and sprinkle inside with salt and pepper.
  2. Combine tomato pulp, eggs, celery, mayonnaise, bacon, parsley, 1/4 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper; stir well.
  3. Fill tomato shells with bacon and egg mixture. Sprinkle with paprika.
Yum

Posted in Baby clothes, coupon codes, discounts, Easy Meal Planning, Holiday Meals, ShopforBaby, ShopforMom, Shopping deals.

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By Stacy – April 15, 2011

The Last Minute Shuffle

It’s been done before and it is everyday, Moms and their loved ones rush to get all the things they need before the baby’s arrival and the baby shower. Right now, money is so very tight for most people and new mothers but that doesn’t mean they need to go without. For several years now, there has been outlets for mothers and others to get strollers, cribs, car seats, clothes and toys at great deals for items that have been used already yet in good, or great, condition to be passed down to someone else in dire need.

We have used Craig’s List and Ebay for many things, yet we still forget to use them for other items. I tell my coworkers and friends to go on everyday and see what is being offered for a good deal or even free. This morning I went on myself for all the people I know who need baby stuff right now. I have friends and cousins that need cribs and car seats but I only have one of each to hand down so I went online right away and found a plethora of deals in all regions for anyone looking to get what they need this week in time for baby and gifting.

I found this Graco Pack and Play in Anaheim, CA for only $25 in good shape and definitely capable of lasting through at least one more child. In Phoenix, AZ I found a nice jogging stroller for only $20, as shown in the photo. In Albuquerque, NM a mom listed a swinging bassinet for $25 in fantastic shape as well and a good sized bassinet that will last through the first six months for most babies.

There is no sense in paying five times more for the same or similar item that another mother has. Most things are in perfect condition or almost even after it has been used a lot, baby items can last through several hand downs and still be without stains and rips, so why spend a fortune? There is no logic in it.

Take a look at the items many moms around you are using, most of them still look new. All of my son’s items like his stroller, car seat, toys, clothes, and crib look like they came straight from the store shelves. My friends were more than happy to receive them for their new babies and those same items still look great. The landfill doesn’t need yet another perfectly lovely and working stroller and bag of onesies so I decided to give them to someone who doesn’t have as much or doesn’t believe everything has to be brand new and their children are loving them. The Mommy Network we create is fabulous!

When looking for gifts for their new arrival or yours, most moms agree just something that works well, isn’t dirty and falling apart, will work just beautifully for their bundle of joy. Some stuff is better than none, especially free or at a way better price.

Ebay was my go-to place to sell and buy gently used baby gear like clothes, shoes, toys, and other things. They are so much cheaper. For fifty bucks you can buy a few toys at Target or get a huge lot of toys for the same price and most likely the same items you would buy anyways.

Allow me to demonstrate. I found this lot on Ebay from a fellow Mom, for the price of only one or two toys at the store. And then I found this one. In fact, check out all the deals I found in seconds for about $20 and I only browsed the first page out of hundreds!

When all is said and done, Goodwill and local thrift shops are the place to go to get excellent deals for other moms on low budgets to get what they need for a dollar or so at the last minute, thanks to you, and a kid goes home happy too. Now that’s a gift.

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By jenny@shoppermedia.com – April 15, 2011

So Now You Have Fish, What do You do?

I don’t know about you guys, but I have just acquired fish. I am a new and I must admit, rather reluctant fish parent as I never truly envisioned owning them.  But when my kiddo brought a baggy with two tiny goldfish in it home from the school carnival the other day, I pretty much knew, I was doomed. So, rather than  curse the poor little creatures, I decided to become the best fish mom I could. Well, I must say this is a rather hard task, so to save some of the rest of you the same trouble, I am going to give you a few pointers about fish parenting.

THE PROS OF HAVING FISH

Fish are actually quite beautiful and peaceful to watch, over time they often will interact with you as they become accustomed to feeding schedules and your daily presence in their lives. The sound of the bubbling filter and watching the fish swim around can actually provide hours of comfort and relaxation, especially to our children. Fish are also a good way to help your child learn how to be responsible for and empathetic to another being’s life.

Here is a great article to read before you get started owning fish from www.firsttankguide.net

THE CONS OF HAVING A FISH

The downside to having fish is the fact that they are very sensitive creatures. It is hard to get the water quality right and keep them free from disease, especially if they came from a large pet store where fish turn over is high. Because fish often come to your home from rather dire conditions, they may die, despite your best efforts, so be prepared to talk your children through this process as some fish are hard to keep.

WHAT FISH TO GET?

If your child has not won a fish or was otherwise gifted one beyond your parental control as was the case with me, you can purchase a fish and prepare your home for fish ownership. The first thing you want to decide is what kind of fish would be right for your family. Goldfish are usually a top choice for childhood pets because they are relatively easy to care for and are inexpensive, so here are a few tips for owning a goldfish.

GOLDFISH

Here is an article to help you get started. http://wwwtsrca.tripod.com/shop/id6.html and this one http://www.bva-awf.org.uk/pet/buying/goldfish.asp

Some of the tips highlighted in the articles are the fact that bowls are often too small for goldfish who tend to be rather messy and produce a lot of waste. If you do keep your fish in a bowl, you will need to change the water frequently and keep no more than one fish in the bowl. What is preferable to bowls is an aquarium with a filter. The ratio of space to fish is usually 10 gallons per one inch of fish, thus having gold fish in a healthy environment often means buying and maintaining a large tank. Also tap water is toxic to goldfish, so you will need to make sure that you have the proper chemicals to treat the water before introducing fish to it. Lastly, even though having one fish in a bowl is an iconic image, fish actually like company, so investing in a good set up and introducing fish to it slowly one at a time will mean a longer and healthier life for your fish. Make sure you let your tank cycle (balance the chemicals) before adding too many fish at once.

BETTA FISH OR SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH

http://www.bettafish.com/ is a good website to go to for feeding, care and housing a Betta fish. Betta fish are great fish for children as they are beautiful and hardy. The only word of caution about them is the fact that they are fighting fish and like to fight with other fish, so it is best to keep them alone or with other kinds of fish, but not other Bettas.

GUPPIES

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http://www.guppies.com/ this website has everything you need to know about rearing guppies. Since guppies are live bearers, you will find that if you have male and female guppies in your tank, your fish may have babies. This is up to you how you want your child to experience this side of learning. It is a wonderful way to teach your children about life cycles, but you will need to either keep getting larger aquariums to fit your new fish or find a resource to sell or gift your guppy babies.

In all owning fish is actually easier than caring for a hamster or pet snake, but does take care and experience as I am learning with my little goldfish friends who I have grown to love.

Posted in Family Fun, ShopforMom.

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By Stacy – April 14, 2011

Your Child’s Virtual Worlds

Kids are so much more advanced than we were growing up and so their experience of childhood is much more vast. In addition to playing outdoors, riding bikes, coloring and creative play that we grew up enjoying as children, kids today have computers, hand held games, ipods…etc. Their technology sometimes is even too advanced for their parents. But a good way to interact with our children is to support their quest for knowledge and understand some of the things that may seem out of our scope of understanding. One thing that boggles my mind is virtual worlds. A child can visit an online world where they can play games, create living spaces and interact with others online. While this new and advanced technology is exciting, it is also a little bit scary, so its best make sure that you are interducing your children to safe sites, where you know that they will be learning and also protected from online preditors.

About.com has a list of the top virtual world sites for children.

DISNEY’S CLUB PENGUIN

Club Penguin is a Disney owned virtual world that is totally safe for children. In this virtual world you can create a Peguin universe for your peguin, by creating a living space, buying it clothes and playing games. Also your child has a choice of different languages so if you want your child to learn a second language (useful if your child is in a dual language immersion program at school or there are two languages spoken in the home) you can play in different languages. The game costs $5.95 a month and is a great way to help support your child’s creative play and ability to use the computer and the internet.

Club Penguin

SQUIDOO VIRTUAL WORLD INFORMATION PAGE

If you are a parent like me and felt a little lost surfing your child’s virtual world, you can use this helpful article http://www.squidoo.com/Virtual-Worlds-for-Kids to get a better understanding of virtual worlds and what purpose they serve for your children. As it is always a parent’s responsibility and right to decide what they think is best for their children, this article is very inclusive and gives parents a lot of insight into the benefits and dangers of your child’s involvement in their virtual communities.

SECRET BUILDERS

Secretbuilders.com is a world for children five years and older and allows the child to build a home, take care of a pet, interact socially with other characters, virtual shop and learn about historical characters. It also allows for the child to upload their own works of art to integrate into the site.

SecretBuilders

WHYVILLE

Whyville is another safe online world for kids seven years old and older. This free online virtual world helps develop children’s knowledge and education by placing them in different situations as a citizen of Whyville. Children learn math, art, economics and how to become socially responsible. This is a wonderful way to introduce your child to interactive learning.

WIGLINGTON AND WENKS

Wiglington and Wenks is a virtual world for children 7 to 14 that gives the player and opportunity to travel around the world and learn about different cultures and lifestyles while meeting historical figures and learning significant historical facts. The site is mostly free, but for $5.99/month your child can have access to all the features on the site.

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Other great sites, which are more consumer based and connected are…

Webkinz

Webkinz world, can be accessed by obtaining a code on one of the many stuffed animals available for sale through the Ganz corporation.

National Geographic’s Animal Jam

Animal Jam is a website where kids create an animal avatar and explore natural environments and habitats.

Nat_geo_kids_logo_new

BUILD-A-BEAR VILLE

Build a Bear has a virtual world game site where kids can create an avatar character and play games within the site.

BARBIE GIRLS

Barbiegirls.com is a place where girls ages 8 and up can play, by creating an avatar, dressing them up, take them places, make music etc. The site is mostly free with a few barbiegirl device options for optimum use.

Posted in Online Freebies, Online shopping, ShopforMom, Uncategorized.

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By Stacy – April 12, 2011