Bubble Away Boredom

Nights are longer and the weather is warmer – and the kids are getting antsy. Alas, summer must be here heralding cries of “I’m bored,” “There is nothing to do,” or “Do we have to go there?” Time to break out the dish soap and conjure up batches of bubble solution! 

You can do this by taking 2/3 cup of dish soap (Dawn or Joy seem to work better than most brands); 1 tablespoon of glycerin (available at most grocery and drug stores); and 1 gallon of water. Mix the solution together and let the fun begin!

Look for interesting “wands” the kids can blow through such as a funnel or large slotted spoon. Metal coat hangers and floral wire can be molded into fun shapes. The green mesh baskets that strawberries come in or Styrofoam cups with a hole cut out of the bottom are also handy. Half the fun will be searching for items that can be used as bubble wands.

Create bubble “art” by adding a few drops of food coloring to the solution and having the kids catch the bubbles on a sheet of paper; let it dry and wah-la! (Note: this is definitely an outdoor activity because the coloring may cause stains.)

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© Charlene Davis. All rights reserved.

Tips for Using Magazine Perfume Samples

Women’s magazines have been featuring perfume samplers tucked in between their glossy pages for decades as an unobtrusive way to entice buyers to try their products. Not only are these fragrant little sheets a great way to “window shop” while sitting in your PJs, they can also be used in a myriad of other ways:

• Open them up and tuck them in your suitcase to dispel musty odors while keeping clothes and lingerie smelling pretty
• Sample the perfume by rubbing the sampler on your skin and then save your favorites to refer to later as a “wishlist”
• Tuck them into dresser drawers (especially lingerie)
• Forego pricey car fresheners and stash a sampler under the car seat
• Place one in your purse for fragrance on-the-go
• Store them in shoes – especially those stinky sneakers and high-top boots
• Slip one inside of a pillowcase for sweet-smelling dreams
• If you put seasonal clothes in storage, tuck one inside the box before closing it up
• Perfume samplers even make fragrant bookmarks!

You can also pick up perfume sample sheets in your favorite department store by asking the clerk to spray select fragrances on individual cards that you can take home and reuse. Or if you prefer, you can to use your own personal fragrance by simply spritzing your perfume on a piece of tissue paper or index card.

Five Low-Carb Breakfast Ideas

For quite some time my doctor has encouraged me to adopt a low-carb lifestyle which I have resisted until recently. Lunch and dinner have been relatively easy to manage with low-carb alternatives; however, breakfast is somewhat of a challenge because of the morning rush activities. There really isn’t enough time to whip up a veggie frittata or Eggs Florentine. Besides, I would be the only one eating any of those since the rest of my family are dedicated cereal crunchers. So here are five quick and easy low-carb breakfast ideas I have come up with:

Fruits: If your low-carb diet plan allows fruits (mine does in limited quantities), try spooning some cottage cheese over a slice of cantaloupe. This is so yummy! You can also mix a spoonful of berries with plain Greek yogurt (fewer carbs than traditional yogurt) or one of the low-carb yogurts such as DANNON® Light & Fit®. 

Egg Sandwich: This requires a little pre-planning because you will need to boil or scramble your eggs the night before. Then, in the morning toast one or two slices of low-carb, multi-grain bread and layer thinly sliced hard boiled eggs over one slice. Or spoon on some scrambled eggs that have been reheated a few seconds in the microwave. Add a slice of cheese and either cover with the second slice of bread or eat open-face style.

Ham and Cheese Roll-ups: Take a slice of deli-style ham and layer a slice of cheese over top. Then just roll up and eat 2 or 3 of these for a fast, super easy breakfast. You can also spoon some cottage cheese or pre-cooked scrambled eggs over the cheese slice before rolling up. For lunch, I also like to wrap the ham and cheese in a lettuce leaf and add a dribble of peanut sauce.

Vegetable Frittata: Okay, I know I said there wasn’t enough time to whip up a frittata in the mornings, and that’s true. Unless you do it on a weekend morning or some other convenient time. Then you can cut the frittata into wedges, freeze each one individually and reheat in the microwave on a busy morning before rushing out of the door. Check out these easy instructions on how to Make a Frittata at About.com. 

Low-Carb Cereal: For die-hard cereal lover fans, there are several low-carb cereals at the supermarket that are actually quite tasty such as Kellogg's® Special K® ProteinPlus cereal. They even have a $1-off coupon!  Pour some yummilicious almond or soy milk over a bowl and enjoy.

Other ideas for eating a low-carb breakfast on the run are precooked packages of bacon or sausage which only take a few seconds to heat in the microwave; cheese sticks; hard-boiled eggs; or frozen multi-grain muffins or pancakes that can be easily thawed and heated. 

A protein shake or smoothie is another low-carb breakfast option that can be easily made with a cup of almond or soy milk, a scoop of protein powder, and some frozen fruit such as bananas, strawberries, or blueberries. After combining the ingredients, give them a whirl in the blender and drink it on your way to work.

Things You Should Never Buy Used

Everyone loves a good bargain, especially during these tough economic times. Often, some of the best bargains can be found at garage sales and thrift shops for a fraction of the cost they would be if you bought them brand-new.

However, some items should never be bought used because of unknown safety risks. Most people know that used car seats can be problematic because one out of ten has been involved in a car accident making them unreliable in the event of another accident. The same rule applies to used tires – if they have been involved in one car accident then there is a high risk of instability in another.

Something else to think about is purchasing a used mattress. With the high infestation of bed bugs being reported around the country, there is no telling if you would be bringing home some unpleasant house pests. Plus, the mattress can be a host to the former resident’s sweat, grime, bacteria, and other unmentionable fluids. Best to just purchase the used bedroom furniture and look for a new mattress on sale.

There are quite a few more used items you should cross off your list, so click the following link for a list of Reader’s Digest 10 Things You Should Never Buy at Garage Sales.

Tips for Moms to Eat Healthy and Stay Fit on the Go

I don’t know about you, but I find it pretty tough keeping up with the stress of being Superwoman all the time. So many of us are bringing in an income, raising our children, and keeping the house clean (sort of), while running a slew of errands and trying to find something to put on the dinner table every night.

However, with all of that going on one of the first things many women start to let slide is their own health. Eating healthy and hitting the gym often goes out the window when moms are too busy to take time out for themselves. Below are some great tips for all of us to eat healthy and stay in shape while on the go:

1. Fast Food doesn’t have to mean high calorie. There are some great apps out now that help busy folks make better food choices when they have to grab food on the go. Of course, cooking at home is still the best option, but with the handy-dandy apps available on your smart phone you can still keep track of the nutrition information at all of your local fast food chains. Don’t get fooled into eating a thousand calorie salad, when there are healthier options. It only takes a few seconds to check out the restaurant, and then you can go in with a solid plan for getting the most nutrition with the least amount of calories.

2. Always keep good snacks in your bag. A great way to avoid chowing down on a juicy Big Mac is to keep some nice, healthy snacks within easy reach during the day. It can be easy to forget to grab a meal and sometimes food is a matter of opportunity. Give yourself the tools to eat healthy even while on the run.

3. Switch to water. Busy moms on the go often forget to carry the obligatory bottle of water, so always keep a bottle with you so that you can stay hydrated. Not only will this help keep up your energy levels, but it will also help flush out toxins that accumulate in the body. When you switch to drinking water you get all the hydration benefits and none of the calories that fill sodas and juices.

4. Keep moving. Even when you don’t have time to hit the gym there are lots of ways to keep your body toned and fit. Take the stairs whenever possible to get the cardio benefit and work out the gluteus muscles. Take a nice brisk walk during your lunch hour to get in some extra exercise and clear your head for the rest of the day. Use a headset for telephone calls so you can walk instead of sitting down at your desk. There are also some great pieces of exercise equipment that can fit under your desk so that you can keep working even in a seated position.

It isn’t easy to juggle all the responsibilities when you work and raise a family, but keeping up with your health isn’t optional. Stay healthy so that you can keep up with your busy lifestyle.

When Your Child is too Sick to go to School

Death, taxes and sick children; the certainties in life. These things are inevitable so you need to have a game plan for all three contingencies. For example, when you have a sick child but can’t stay home with them, plan in advance who will take care of them when school or daycare is out of the question. Sending them to school sick doesn’t count as a game plan.

A child should not return to school until he/she has been fever-free and/or hasn’t vomited for 24 hours. Also, you should not send a child to school who has an uncontrolled cough, has green or yellow mucus, eye drainage, a sore throat, earache, explosive diarrhea, an undiagnosed rash, or is lethargic and mopey.

Sending a sick child to school isn’t fair to…

•  The teachers/staff
• The other students who are exposed to your child’s illness
• Most of all - your child! A sick child needs to know they can recuperate in comfort and in the amount of time needed. Otherwise you’ll only prolong the illness and cause them to do less than their best at school.

If you’re fortunate enough to have an understanding employer who allows for family sick days, count your blessings. But if you’re not, you need to implement a “sick day game plan” using one or more of the following ideas to assure you and your child are comfortable with how sick days are handled.

1. Whenever possible, let Dad take a turn staying home. Also, consider working in shifts. Perhaps Dad could go to work in the morning and then come home so that Mom can take the afternoon shift.

2. It would be great if you have the luxury of having grandparents or other relatives living close by. If so, make arrangements for one or two of them to be an alternate caregiver on days you can’t stay home. Older relatives are generally happy to accommodate and will provide plenty of TLC to make the day as pleasant as possible.

3. Offer to pay a trusted friend or neighbor such as a stay-at-home mom whose children are in school all day. Ask her to come to your home to avoid spreading germs to her household. If she won’t accept the pay, flowers or a gift card are definitely in order.

4. Find out if there someone in your church who might consider helping out on occasion. Naturally, you should offer compensation as added incentive.

The key to a successful sick day game plan is to have everything worked out in advance, and perhaps even a second back-up plan in case your first one doesn’t work out. Of course, you may not know you need to put the plan into play until waking your child for school, so your caregiver needs to understand she may have very short notice. In other words, whoever you plan to ask should have agreed prior to being needed.

Naturally, there’s no one like mom when a little one is sick, so whenever possible give them that special attention. But when life gets in the way make it easier for everyone by having a prearranged game plan worked out. Your family will be most appreciative!

 

Start Living Green in the New Year

“Green Living, Going Green, Eco-Friendly, and Environment Footprints.” These topics have become so popular newsletters, tips, websites, blogs and even reality shows are constantly being launched to educate the masses on how we can save the planet. Though some people have adopted solutions such as wearing organic clothing or buying eco-friendly cars, there are a number of things you can implement on a smaller level to start off the New Year by living green.

Turn Off Appliances. People are generally conscientious about saving electricity; however, there is still a great deal of effort that needs to go into eliminating phantom electricity – a/k/a standby power. This is the energy that is silently used when your electrical appliances are on standby, such as with TV’s, laptop chargers, coffee pots, AC’s and many other home appliances. Although the individual amount of consumption is negligible the aggregate amount can add up to 22 percent of all appliance consumption. If you don’t want to walk around the house shutting off different appliances with the remote or power button, another simple solution for conservation of energy is turn off the appliances from the main power switch before walking out of the door.

Use Eco-Friendly Products. If you’re willing to be a green consumer the benefits to the environment are endless. There is no limit to the power consumers have when making educated decisions on the products they purchase. By showing industries that consumers are only going to buy products which are healthy for the environment, companies will be forced to change their manufacturing strategies along with the final product. Being a green consumer is quite simple. Try buying products with little or recycled packaging along with those that cause little pollution to produce. Educate yourself by finding out about the companies you regularly buy from and make sure they have some form of environment friendly goal or statement on their website.

Educate the Kids. Along with educating yourself you should educate your children on adopting a green lifestyle, as well. Instilling the importance of green living at an early age will ensure that children grow up to be responsible adults who will carry on the effort that you started. The enthusiasm of children is a great trait to use in getting them involved in activities such as recycling, ‘electricity monitoring’ duty, or even starting an organic garden at home or at school.

Recycle, reduce, reuse. Recycling was perhaps the first smart step taken by most people in saving the environment and truly living green. With more and more green living tips available the importance of this simple and proven step is sometimes forgotten. Other than the standard recycling of plastic, paper, and glass in recycling bins it is important to remember that glass bottles can be recycled in the kitchen, paper can be reprinted on, and even food scraps can be recycled to make compost for the garden. Keep your creative mind open in other ways to recycle everyday items at home; almost everything can have a second life.

Healthy Eating and Drinking. The choices you make for food and drink consumption may not seem to be the most obvious ways to live green but taking little steps such as decreasing the frequency of eating out, drinking less soda, and drinking filtered tap water or buying water in large bottles will significantly reduce your carbon footprint on the Earth. Buying things at the local farmer’s market not only increases your green living style but also supports the farmers as well.

There are many ways you can become a smarter, more proactive citizen of the Earth. The small steps taken each individual will help solve the puzzle to saving the environment. Keep yourself up to date with other simple techniques that can be implemented both at home and in the office. For more green living tips check out the article, Which is Greener? for some interesting and economical ways to reduce your carbon footprint.