But Mom, I’m BORED!!!

July 8, 2009 By 1 Comment

How many times have you heard that in the last few weeks? When I was a work-at-home mom, summer holidays felt like they would never end. Who PIC108494617198thought giving children two months off school was a great idea?

“I’m Bored” is a refrain heard often through out the summer. No matter how many books, games, movies, and activities you provide, school age child always seem to find ways to be bored more then anything else.

Last weekend I was chatting with a few other moms and one of them shared a brilliant solution that she used last summer that elimated the boredom blues – The Bored List.

It’s unbelievably simple! Make a list of chores your child is capable of completing. Put the list in a visible place and let your child know that every time you hear the words “I’m Bored” they have to pick a chore off the list to complete.

She tried this out on her son last summer and heard “I’m bored” about 3 times before he decided he could find things to do instead of sitting and complaining to mom. It’s amazing how many things he all the sudden had to do when it meant avoiding extra chores lol.

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Filed Under: Parenting

Save Money on Groceries: 9 Simple Ways

February 17, 2009 By 1 Comment

It never fails, we budget for our groceries, but the bill always ends up being more. We underestimate, run out of things faster than expected and overall, everything is becoming just too darned expensive! To make things a little bit easier, here are 9 simple ways you can save money on groceries.

1. Go with a List: Yes, I know…it’s a pretty obvious suggestion, but it’s amazing how effective it can be. You can purchase only what you need and avoid all the other yummy distractions of the grocery store.

2. Meal Planning: Planning your meals in advance makes it easier to get your list together and ensure you buy only exactly what you need. You can get help with your meal planning at Dine Without Whine AND they actually put your grocery list together for you too.

3. Eat Before You Go: Another classic tip. If you’re hungry, you’ll want to buy (and instantly eat) everything! Have a meal or good snack before you go to avoid impulse purchases.

4. Stock Up on Staple Items When They’re On Sale: If you see ketchup or your family’s favorite sauce on sale, stock up. Or if it’s a certain type of soup or frozen vegetable your family eats all the time, buy a bunch of it. As long as it doesn’t spoil and you have space to store it, you will save money in the long run. The nice thing about this is if you continue to stock up on a variety of items, you’ll have a nice pantry full of food at any given time.

5. Cook from Scratch More Often: Yeah, yeah…it sounds easier said than done, but it doesn’t have to be too complicated. It’s no secret that pre-packaged items and convenience foods come at a premium price. They save you time in preparation, but they eat up your budget and let’s face it, time IS money. Plus, if you’re using Tip #2 and planning your meals, cooking from scratch more often is a whole lot easier.

6. Comparison Shop Before You Leave Home: No, I’m definitely not suggesting you go from store-to-store looking for the best deal. That takes too much time. Check the flyers that come to your door and see who is offering the best deals on what you actually need. If you don’t have any flyers at your door, visit the store website as they generally post flyers online.

7. Use Coupons Sparingly: Sure, coupons offer a great deal, but most coupons you’ll find are for items you don’t really need or use. Resist the urge to think, “Wow, that’s a good deal” and search for coupons based on items you need to purchase instead.

8. Keep the Little Ones At Home: If you have young children that want everything that they see, it’s easy to get into the trap of buying items you don’t need, treats that aren’t healthy and become victim to other grocery store distractions. Keep the kids at home with Daddy (it’s a good bonding opportunity) or a relative. You can even swap grocery store shopping times with your neighbor. Not only will you save money, but you’ll save your sanity too!

9. Make Quick Stops for Fresh Ingredients: This may not be easy if you’re on a tight schedule, but if you can work it in, it can save you a bundle. One of the biggest culprits in grocery budgets gone bad is spoiled food. If your fruits, veggies and other perishable items are always going bad, consider shopping for them more frequently, but in smaller quantities and restrain yourself from buying items you don’t need. If you have any teenaged kids, this would be a great chore for them too.

There you go – 9 ways to save money on groceries. But in order to make these tips work, you really need to have a plan in place. You need to know what your family needs and what you’ll be eating. To make your meal planning a whole lot easier, sign up for you 1 ¢ no-risk trial at Dine Without Whine. You and your grocery budget will be glad you did.

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Filed Under: Frugal Living Tagged With: , , ,

Free But Romantic Valentine’s Dates

February 10, 2009 By 1 Comment
Romantic Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

All you have to do is turn on the news for 5 minutes and odds are you’re going to hear about job losses and the economy. The recession has effected everyone and we’re all looking for ways to cut back expenses to make it though. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun, romantic Valentine’s day date – it just means you have to be creative!

Here are some great date ideas for Valentine’s using stuff you already have!  These free but romantic valentine’s dates are sure to please you and your hunny bunny.

1. Late Night Candlelight Picnic

To pull this one off you’ll need picnic food, a nice big blanket, pillows, some music and some candles.  After the kids are in bed, lay a soft blanket out on the living room floor with lots of pillows. If you have a fireplace or a “fireplace” DVD – you can use that to add to the ambiance. Find all the candles you can around the house and set them up around the living room, play some of your favorite music and turn out the lights for a romantic candlelight glow.  Enjoy your picnic, and whatever may follow! Make sure to spend a little time telling each other why you love each other.

2. A Walk in the Park

Where I live it’s still cold and snowy – but if you’re lucky enough to live in an area that is a little warmer, take time to go for a walk with your spouse! A local park or an area close by that has special meaning to you is a great choice. When my husband and I were dating, we used to taking the walking trails through the local park and then sit by the pond and talk for hours. For us, reliving that old tradition would be a fantastic, romantic way to spend an afternoon. If you have smaller children, enlist the help of a friend or family member to watch them while you are out. You may need to plan your date for the day before or after, but this will save you childcare costs. Perhaps you know another couple that would want to exchange sitting services?

3. An Old Movie Date

Dinner and a Movie is a pretty traditional date – one that can also cost a fortune once you add gas, tickets, snacks, dinner and a sitter. So, plan a movie night in. After the kids have gone to bed, set up the TV in your bedroom.  Pop your own popcorn and make some punch. Curl up in bed and watch an old movie you both love but haven’t pulled off the shelf in a while.  Combine this idea with the picnic idea for a complete dinner and a movie date!

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Filed Under: Marriage, Valentine's Day Tagged With: , , ,

Frugal Family Valentine’s Day Traditions

February 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Frugal Family Valentine's DayValentine’s Day is traditionally seen as a holiday for lovers, but children love Valentine’s Day as well. My kids LOVE picking out their cards each year, handing them out and bringing home a bag full of  goodies to go through after school.

Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to build some cherished family traditions that are centered on loving, caring and sharing. Here are a few ideas for simple, budget friendly ideas to make your Valentine’s Day special.

1. Create A Valentine’s Day Breakfast Tradition!

Let’s face it – most mornings are hectic and eating breakfast together as a family is rare. Valentine’s Day is the perfect chance to make an exception. This year it’s Saturday – but you can do this every year no matter what day of the week it is as long as you plan ahead.  Plan a special meal with a Valentine’s theme – strawberry waffles, heart shaped pancakes, strawberry milk, etc. If your children are crafty – let them help with the decorating. They can use construction paper to make placemats, hearts to hang from the chairs and ceiling, etc.

2. Valentine’s Notes from Mom

Valentine’s cards are the highlight for most young kids – so why not use that? Slip a special valentine’s card into your child’s school lunch as a surprise. Since it’s Saturday this year – include a special card by their plate at lunch.

3. Valentine’s Craft Time

Enlist your children’s help with your decorating by starting a Valentine’s Craft Day tradition. Using basic supplies like construction paper, glue, stickers, glitter, etc – help your children create decorations and put them up around the house for Valentine’s Day.

4. Get A Little Lovey

We spend Thanksgiving talking about what we’re thankful for – why not spend Valentine’s Day talking about what we love about each other?  Start a family tradition, perhaps during your Valentine’s breakfast, of sharing what you like about each other.  There are plenty of fun ways to do this, just be creative. It’s a great chance to do a little family bonding.

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Filed Under: Marriage, Valentine's Day

Free Recipes Weekly! Don’t miss this!

February 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

If you took part in last month’s New Years Bonanza – you already got the inside scoop on this but if not – read on!

We are very excited to launch the Moms In A Recipe Club this week!

What is it?

Moms In A Recipe Club is a weekly recipe club! Each week participants will receive a new recipe or recipe collection in their inbox Wednesday Morning!

What does it cost?

Nothing! It’s completely free!

It’s really that simple. Sign up, get free recipes every week. What a great way to build your recipe collection! You’ll recieve seasonal recipes, holiday recipes, desserts, entrees, side dishes, recipes kids can cook, and much more. We’ll make sure we mix it up plenty so that you’re sure to get a ton of useful recipes that your family will love!

The first edition of Moms In A Recipe Club will go out February 11 with a fantastic collection of Valentine’s Day recipes! Don’t miss it – sign up today!

First Name:
Email Address:

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Filed Under: Recipes & Tips

22 Blog Ideas for Valentine’s Day!

February 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Blogging about seasonal topics and holidays are a great way to bring in some extra traffic and perhaps make some extra sales. Even in this economy, people are still looking for way to make holidays like Valentine’s Day special! Valentine’s Day is only a few days away (It’s this Saturday, in case you forgot) so know is the time to get those posts up!

So WHAT do you blog about?

Well – good question! We’ve got a great little gift for you – a free mini report from Blog Energizer with 22 Ideas for Valentine’s Day Blogging!

Right click below to download a copy to your computer and then pick the ideas you like best and start blogging!

Don’t have a blog? You can use Valentine’s Day to drive traffic to your online store by guest blogging instead! Download the report, choose an idea or two to write about, and email us the results along with your bio and links so we can post it for you! Tracy @ momsinablog.com

Blogging Ideas for Valentine’s Day

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Filed Under: Moms in Business, Valentine's Day Tagged With: , ,

Creative Valentines

February 8, 2009 By 6 Comments

Talk About TuesdayThis time of year it often seems that everything is pink and red, hearts and bows, chocolate and flowers, and all the other traditions behind Valentine’s Day. As I have been browsing around I have come across some great ideas for making your own Valentines a little more unique.

Funny ValentinesFirst, from Just a Teaspoon:
TSPWLV wrote about deciding to make handmade Valentines this year because she “just couldn’t stomach another trip to Hallmark”. Of course, rather than try for the store-bought replica, she chose to embrace her children’s creativity and let them have free reign to create as they saw fit. Visit the Funny Valentines post to read about the adventure and her own observations of her childrens’ creative process.

Second, from Stay at Home Child:
Evie homeschools her two creative children and shares about the plans for a special Valentine they are making using photos of a Valentine’s Day gift that her children received from an aunt. I hope you’ll read her Valentine’s Day post and then watch for updates along with me.

Why did these creations catch my attention? They are perfect examples of a child’s creativeness. Yes, mom may have helped, but the ideas were those of the child. I love it when I get to see a child creating without inhibitions; those times when there is no right way to do it. There is something inspiring about watching the gears turn inside their head. I often end up craving that creative and even adventuresome spark for myself. It makes me want to get back in my space and create something myself.

Did you or your child make your own Valentine’s Day cards this year? If you did, I would love to see them. Just leave a comment telling me where I can go to take a look.

Jennifer Lavender is a homeschooling mom of 2 girls who enjoys scrapbooking, papercrafts, and learning more about arts and crafts in general. Read more about her day to day adventures on her personal blog.

Photo credit: TSPWLV

To find out what other people are talking about this week, visit The Lazy Organizer.

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Filed Under: Valentine's Day

Fun Valentine’s Day Ideas For Kids

February 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Share some family fun and get started on the projects listed below and have them ready in time for Valentines Day.

1.Help kids make their own Valentines using construction paper, lace, ribbons, sequins, butons, glitter, glue and anything else they or you can think of to add on!

2.Cut a heart shape from a household sponge and sprinkle with wheat grass seeds and keep the sponge wet so the children will have a growing heart. They can even give the hearts “hair cuts!”

3.Make and decorate cookies or cupcakes. Use your favorite cake mix and icing and decorate with candy hearts, red hots, sprinkles and anything else you can think of.

4.Make a Valentine Box by decorating a shoe box with construction paper or wrapping paper and adding on lace, ribbons, paper cutouts, heart doilies and anything else in your craft pile.Kids can then put their Valentine cards in the box!

5.Use paints or food coloring to make Thumbprint Valentines by making two thumbprints into a heart shape and then add facial features . The child then can add the following – “Thumb Body Loves You!”

6.Play Cupid Chase by putting blindfolds on all but one (He will be Cupid) Tye a small bell to the childs shoe strings or on a string for a necklace.Then Cupid runs around the room anywhere while the blindfolded kids try to to catch him by listening for the bell.When Cupid is caught the catcher then becomes Cupid!

Have a Happy Valentines Day!

Angela Billings is the founder of Home and Family Ezine which is a free online newsletter offering tips and ideas for women on the go! www.homeandfamilyezine.com

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Expert Advice on Energy Saving Tips for the Home

February 3, 2009 By 1 Comment

ARA) – There are two issues that are heavy on our minds in 2009 – finances and the environment? Wouldn’t it be great if you could save both at the same time? You can. All it takes is a little expert advice on how to make your home more energy efficient.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average family spends $1,900 a year on utility bills. Unfortunately, much of that money is being wasted on inefficient heating and cooling systems, or excess use of appliances, according to Greg Schuman, electrician program chair at Everest Institute in San Bernardino, Calif.

Schuman advises you to break your house down into different systems of energy usage, including heating, cooling, water heating, lighting, computers and electronics, appliances and refrigeration. Once you break down your energy spending into different components, you can look for ways to maximize your energy consumption in each area.


Start with heating and cooling. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the costs of heating and cooling make up 46 percent of a family’s monthly utility bill. Schuman suggests you be conscious of the temperature at which you set your thermostat. Try to set your thermostat as high as is comfortable in summer and as low as is comfortable in winter. Schuman also recommends you buy timed thermostats that can be programmed to use less energy when you are at work during the day and asleep at night.

Second, Schuman says homeowners should take advantage of the sun’s natural heating system. “In winter months, you want to take advantage of the sun’s heat. Open your southern and western facing windows to let as much light in as possible and make sure to keep your windows as clean as possible. Depending on the size of your windows, the sun can really help heat up a room.” But in summer, Schuman advises keeping shades down and draperies closed to prevent the sun from entering.

Lighting is another relatively easy way to save energy. “Look into getting fluorescent light bulbs. Each light bulb can save you approximately $30 in electricity costs over its lifetime,” Schuman says. On average, fluorescent bulbs use 75 percent less energy, produce 75 percent less heat and can last up to 10 times as long as regular light bulbs, so they more than make up for the initial expense.

When shopping for new appliances, Thad Becker, electrician program instructor at Everest Institute in San Bernardino, Calif., says to always think of both the immediate price tag and the long-term operating cost. “Sometimes it is worth it to pay more in the short run for a more energy-efficient appliance,” Becker says. With refrigerators, top freezers are more efficient than side-by-side units. You also want to look for a fridge with automatic moisture control. Even if you aren’t in the market for a new refrigerator anytime soon, Becker says to make sure to cover liquids and food items to prevent moisture from accumulating in the fridge, which makes the fridge work harder.

The stovetop and oven are more expensive to use than a microwave or toaster oven. “Toaster ovens actually use one-third to half as much energy as a full-sized oven, so use your toaster oven when possible,” Becker says.

Laundering clothes differently also saves money. More than 90 percent of the cost of doing laundry comes from heating the water, so Becker suggests washing clothes in cold water whenever possible and making sure to fill loads completely before running them. He also advises not to over-dry clothes and, when possible, to air-dry your clothes. “Air drying is a great way to save energy, and it also has the added benefit of helping extend the life of your clothing,” says Becker.

If you are willing to spend a little money, check your insulation. Adding insulation to your attic floor, basement or crawl spaces is relatively easy and can prevent major heat loss in the winter. “If you are uncomfortably cold in the winter or hot in the summer, think about checking your insulation. Most homeowners don’t realize that only about 20 percent of homes built before 1980 are well-insulated,” Becker says.

“With a few small changes in your daily routine, or relatively inexpensive home improvements, you can really cut down on your energy usage, which can have a significant impact on your long-term utility costs, not to mention the pleasure of knowing that you are helping do your part to conserve energy,” Becker says.

For more practical advice on an energy effiecient home, check out The Household Helper’s eBook – How To Make Your House Cost & Energy Effective.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Filed Under: Frugal Living

Valentine’s Crafts with Construction Paper

January 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Construction paper has got to be one of the most versatile craft materials for kids. There are so many crafts and projects that kids who love to create can indulge in and Valentine’s Day is no exception. This is the perfect opportunity for your kids to exercise their creativity and create inexpensive gifts for friends and family.

First, get some paper. Obviously right? You can kind construction paper pads at your local office supplier store or craft store or online at Oriental Trading Co.. Construction paper is very inexpensive – Oriental Trading Co. offers 50 sheet packs for just over $2! That’s Make sure that you have a pad of white sheets, red sheets, and multicolored paper.

The most obvious Valentine’s Day craft is paper hearts. Kids can use safety scissors to cut out heart tracings. They can draw big and small hearts out of red and white sheets of construction paper. What I like to call alligator teeth scissors can be used to cut out some of the hearts and give them a unique edged design.

Encourage your kids to be creative. Red, white, and pink are the usual colors of Valentine’s Day but don’t object if the kids want to use other colors as well. A purple or green heart will be made with just as much love as a red one.

Kids can use large stencils to make letters that spell out Happy Valentine’s Day. Each letter is made out of construction paper and can be any color that the kids wish it to be. When they are done cutting out the letters they can glue them to a string of yarn and make a banner. Add a little glitter or stickers to make the letters stand out even more. You can display their handiwork in a doorway or on the living room wall.

What else can kids use construction paper for? They can decorate other items for Valentine’s Day. Adding a few tiny pieces of red or pink construction paper to a vase or picture frame can turn it into a special gift with a love theme.

Construction paper along with some love stamps can create feel-good buttons for the entire family to wear for Valentine’s Day. The kids can stamp to their hearts content and then cut out shapes around the designs to give to family and classmates. A piece of rolled tape or a small safety pin can fix the “love button” to any shirt or jacket.

Construction paper doesn’t cost much and it is a wonderful way for kids to have fun at Valentine’s Day. Keep a stock of construction paper, crayons, markers and scissors around the house and crafts are easy to make at a moment’s notice.

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Filed Under: Valentine's Day
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