6 things to do for back to school shopping

1. Consider spreading your clothes shopping out through the fall. A few weeks after the school year starts all the stores have much better sales on clothing.
2. Make a list of what you need. If your child has tons of t-shirts and no jeans then you will know what to put on your list.
3. All of us are stretching our pennies as far as they can go, so don't feel bad if you need to shop at the thrift-store. Savers thrift-store has 50% off the entire store on Labor Day, Sep. 7, and they have two locations in the Treasure Valley; one in Boise, on Fairview, and one in Nampa on Nampa/Caldwell Blvd.
4. You don't need name brands, although wouldn't we all like name brands. There are lots of great t-shirts, shoes and accessories available for discount prices.
5. To give your child a completely unique style try making your own t-shirts, shoe design, friendship bracelets, even a duct tape purse.
6. Your can even craft up some school supplies before you head back. Try this personalized binder, a pencil topper or any of these cool crafts at about.com.

Summer zucchini recipes

It's the time of year when gardens are offering up their bounty and the zucchini is ready to harvest. Boise gardens can yield gigantic zucchini and it's time to use them to your advantage. Below is a yummy Zucchini Dinner Menu:

• Beef Meatballs with BBQ Sauce
• Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
• Grilled Zucchini
• Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Beef Meatballs

2lb. of Hamburger,1-1/4 tsp. Salt, 1/8 tsp. Pepper, 1 c. Rolled Oats, 2 eggs, 1-1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 chopped onion, 2/3 c. milk

BBQ Sauce

1 c. brown sugar, 1/2 c. BBQ sauce, 2 Tbsp. Mustard, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce.

Directions:

Mix together the Meatball ingredients. Form into 2" balls. Put in casserole Pan. Mix together all the Sauce ingredients, heat it up and then pour over the meatballs. Bake for 30 Minutes at 350 degrees.

1. Mix all meatball ingredients together. Form into 2" balls.

Cheesy Zucchini Casserole - click on the link to get this recipe from Allrecipes.com

Grilled Zucchini

Marinate 1/2 slices of zucchini in Italian dressing, then grill until lines begin to appear and they are still slightly firm.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 c. of butter, 1/2 c. veggie oil, 1-3/4 c/ sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 c. sour milk*, 2-1/2c. unsifted flour, 4 Tbsp. cocoa, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. cloves, 2 c. grated zucchini, 1 bag of chocolate chips.

1. Cream butter, oil, and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour milk; beat with mixer. Mix together all the dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture; beat well with mixer. Stir in zucchini. Spoon batter into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan; sprinkle top with chocolate chips.

Bake at 325 for 40-45 min. or until toothpick comes out clean and dry.

This really needs no frosting; it is moist and very tender

*To make sour milk, add 1 tsp. lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk. Let stand 5 minutes before using.

Skin softening oatmeal mask made at home

Your skin needs two things to look its best; oil and water. Your body makes its own oil, and you can hydrate your skin by drinking lots of water. But the summer months can be very hard on your skin; air conditioning and the sun can dry your skin out beyond your ability to internally hydrate it .

As a hard working Mom you deserve lots of pampering. But money and time can get in the way. A great way to pamper yourself is with an inexpensive home-made facial mask.

Oatmeal does wonders for the skin; it hydrates and softens, and its really cheap. To make your own oatmeal mask you will need:

• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats are the best, but instant also works.
• Coffee Grinder, Blender, or Food Processor.
• Washcloth to remove the mask.

1. For a full face and neck mask put 1/3 c. Oats into the Coffee Grinder, grind until a you get a soft, fine powder.
2. Add hot water until the consistency of oatmeal, about 3-4 Tbsp.
3. Microwave for about 5 seconds to "cook" the mask.
4. Apply to cleansed skin in light upward strokes, leave for 5-10 min.
5. Dip your washcloth into warm water and lightly lay on your face for 1 minute to steam and soften the mask.
6. Gently wipe mask away rinsing the washcloth often.
7. Apply toner and moisturizer as usual.
8. Feel your baby soft skin! Really.

Put On Your Makeup Baby!

Years ago, before the 2nd and 3rd child, I always wore my make-up. Back then I was a working Cosmetologist and I couldn't imagine a day without my make-up. When I saw women who didn't waer their make-up I told myself, "I'll never do that!" Yeah right. That was all to change with the 2nd and 3rd babies.

For the last 4 years I have been using the bare minimum of make-up. Many days I plan on staying home and somewhere an emergency occurs and I have to rush out of the house without make-up. I hate that feeling. I hate it because deep down I want to know I look nice. Don't we all. But I know I don't look my best when I rush to the grocery store red, blotchy and exhasuted looking. I am to old to think I look OK without makeup. Have you ever had a friend tell you that you looked tired, and you know you had plenty of sleep last night, you just didn't put on eyeliner today? I have, and it sucks.

Well, on Monday I put on all my make-up. All of it. I totally lined top and bottom of my eyes. I havent' done that for years! And what a difference in my attitude it makes!

I love it! I feel so nice. I am getting more done too, don't ask me why. Having your face done adds confidence to your attitude. I put my make-up on even if I am wearing grungy clothes. You should try it for a few days.

For and mental and emotional boost put on all your make-up before you leave the bathroom in the morning.

Cheers! Hears to feeling womanly!

My favorite line of make-up is Everyday Minerals. A full line of mineral make-up that doesn't contain bismuth oxychloride (that irritating ingredient in most of the name brand mineral makeup).

Get off the caffiene train

Have you often wondered why you need so much caffeine to make it throughout the day? Or why you always need more caffeine. If you haven't considered eliminating caffeine from your diet, you should. It is commonly known that caffeine is "bad." But do you know how really bad it is? According to Dr. Diana Schwarzbein, M.D., author of The Schwarzbein Principle, "Caffeine is a stimulant. All stimulants can cause insulin resistance and therefore increase the accelerated metabolic aging process. All stimulants are eventually depressants because they deplete serotonin."
So what can you do to reduce or eliminate caffeine from your diet? Just going cold turkey can cause a plenitude of symptoms including:

(a list from caffeinedependence.org)

Headache – (often described as being gradual in development and diffuse, and sometimes throbbing and severe)

Fatigue -- (e.g., fatigue, tiredness, lethargy, sluggishness)

Sleepiness/drowsiness -- (e.g., sleepy, drowsy, yawning)

Difficulty concentrating -- (e.g., muzzy)

Work difficulty -- (e.g., decreased motivation for tasks/work)

Irritability -- (e.g., irritable, cross, miserable, decreased well-being/contentedness)

Depression -- (e.g., depressed mood)

Anxiety -- (e.g., anxious, nervous)

Flu-like symptoms -- (e.g., nausea/vomiting, muscle aches/stiffness, hot and cold spells, heavy feelings in arms or legs)

So, how can you reduce or eliminate caffeine completely and minimize any symptoms? You can gradually reduce the amount you consume, and drink lots of water. Also, try Dandy Blend. Dandy Blend is a blend of roasted dandelion roots that can be mixed right into hot water, no brewing or steeping needed. It tastes a lot like coffee, so it can satisfy your cravings without the negative results of coffee. And the best part is that Dandelions are very good for you, they contain important vitamins and minerals for you body, and they gently detox the liver. I mix it up with cream and sugar, chill it in the fridge, then pour it over ice for a yummy treat.

How a SAHM Catches Up On The Cleaning

I wasn't feeling very well last week, so you know what happened in the cleaning department? Nothing. Is your home like this? Cleaning all day just to keep up. Here's how to get caught up without exhausting yourself.

1. Start the day with a load of laundry, do at least one load per day so you don't get farther behind.

2. Take breaks often. Clean for 45-50min. and then take a 10 min. break. Eat a snack and drink a glass of water.

2. Do one deep cleaning project a day. Be it decluttering a closet, or wiping around the backs of the toilets.

3. Decide whats for dinner by lunch time so you have everything you need.

4. Always get the kitchen sink clean and the dishwasher started before going to bed. And my son has the chore to empty the dishwasher every morning, school or no school.

A Cool Coat Hanger - JUNKMARKET Style

A Cool Coat Hanger - JUNKMARKET Style

Vintage tea tin pendant lights - JUNKMARKET Style

Vintage tea tin pendant lights - JUNKMARKET Style

The Idaho Gubernatorial Race 2010

At the Independence Day Parade in Boise I noticed some interesting entries that even 2 years ago may have been considered a bit on the "fringe." Among those were the 9-12 project, The Idaho Tea Party, and George Dashiell.

Dashiell was wearing an Revolutionary era tricorn hat and was riding a bicycle along the side of the parade. As he rode by he stopped and gave out keys to the Governor's Office. He is runnig for Governor of Idaho in 2010. It was very interesting to hear him explain his position on "Real Democracy." If Dashiel wins he intends to be and inanimate governor; leaving all, and I mean all, decisions up to We the People of Idaho.

I find his ideas exciting and and a little intimidating. Think about it, what would it be like if we could make every choice in our state government. No longer would decisions be relegated to anyone. One of my first thought is now everyone has a responsibility to be informed and make wise choices. You can't just sit back and watch others take charge. Those who vote and those who abstain are all making a choice.

Deep thoughts.

Heady thoughts.

Check out his Website, its interesting reading.

Free Dinner Menus

Literally, Free Dinner menu, recipes, and printable shopping list. Awesome
Make Dinner Easy

Kids and Wound Healing

My kids are always needing a band-aid for something, and it seems as if cuts and things don't heal very well with just band-aids. Especially my son Carson. Two times in the past he has injured his foot and neglected to tell me. Both times he needed antibiotics because of the infection that resulted.

I even recently had a small cut, that no matter what kind of ointment I threw at it, that was inflamed. At first I was frustrated then little scared. I didn't want antibiotics for a glorified paper cut. So I tried the old fashioned soaking method and old fashioned Dr. told me about when Carson had his foot infections.

When Carson's foot wound wasn't healing well the Dr. told me to soak it in Epsom Salts. We had, but his quick healing I always attributed to the antibiotic. Well, let me tell you sister, it works.

The little cut on my hand, that should have healed properly but didn't, started healing up at light speed after I soaked it in Epsom Salts. I put 1/4 cup of Epsom Salts in a small bowl of very warm water and soaked for about 15 min. I do this 2-3/day until redness and inflammation are gone and the natural healing process can handle everything. In fact, I may try it for wounds that aren't inflamed because I think it will reduce any scarring, which I tend to get a lot.

You can find Epsom Salts at the health food store and at Wal-mart, my go to store, in the pharmacy area. Usually its on the bottom shelf next to the hydrogen peroxide. Also Epsom Salts are great for achy muscles, just pour some into your bath. You can also use Epsom Salts to make fancy bath salts by adding essential oils.

Happy Healing.

Camping in Southwest Idaho

Camping in Southwest Idaho

7/22/2009 7:00 PM

Idaho Statesman outdoor reporters Pete Zimowsky and Roger Phillips will showcase the best campgrounds featured in the new Southwest Idaho Camping Guide. Roger and Pete will share how they prepare for year-round camping, from the desert to the mountains, and from backpacking to RVs.

• Location:REI, 8300 West Emerald, Boise
• Contact:REI Customer Service, 208-322-11141
• Cost: Free
• Registration Required? No.
• http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2009/04/15/outdoors/shameless_plug_southwest_idaho_camping_guide

Get Stuff For Free!!!

I happened upon a great website a few years ago. Its called FreeCycle. FreeCycle is a nonprofit organization to encourage giving, and reduction of waste. In your local Freecycle group people can post the stuff they want to get rid of, and you have the opportunity to pick it up for free. Unlike Craiglist nothing here is for sale, it can only be given away.

To join go to freecycle.org. Type in your zip code, or look up by state. When you find you local organization visit the yahooGroup and make sure to set up you account to get emails as they are posted, not as a daily diary. With FreeCycle the key is to check your email often and respond ASAP to posts. Good Luck.

Also, make sure to spread the wealth and list your old and unwanted stuff on Freecycle so others can benefit just like you did.

Its One of Those Days

<----Look at that picture, I WISH! I hate those days when the Baby doesn't sleep at nap time. The rest of the day she is so cranky. Someone has to hold her all day long. I can't even make dinner without my 9yr. old at home so he can hold her. This post is for nothing else than to just feel like I'm not the only one out there with this problem. Good luck to you all and I hope your babies sleep this afternoon.
So here is a video to help you cheer up. My 4yr. old loves this one.

Once

I just saw Once. It's been on my list forever. No words can describe.

Once: Falling Slowly

How Can a SAHM Plan for the Future

If your husband is taken away from you in a tragic event what happens to you? Will you have to go back to work? If you haven't planned for this you most likely will have to put the kids in daycare or with family and go to work. What about your house? Can you afford to make the payments along with full-time daycare? You may have to move home to your parent’s house because you can't afford the lifestyle you used to have with your husband’s income.

These are not happy thoughts, but with children at home you have probably thought about these things more than you used too. I used to try and NOT think about it because I didn't know how to plan for the future. Denial, it ain't just a river in Egypt. What can you do to make sure that the loss of your husband doesn’t mean the children lose their mother to the workforce?

The best thing to do is to buy some Term Life Insurance for both you and your husband (What if you passed away, how would your husband replace you? He would have to pay some hard earned money to someone to take care of them). Buy your policies at about 10 x your husband’s income, and for you 10x what you would need per year to pay for childcare. You want Term Life only because it is a much better deal. In the long run you save more money with Term Life.

If your husband makes $50,000/year your policy should be for $500,000. Let’s say your husband passes away, when you receive $500,000 from the policy you take it immediately and invest it. The average annual return on mutual stocks is above %10 a year, so $500,000 properly invested earns interest of $50,000/year. You can live off the interest and keep the principle invested. You just replaced your husband’s income. It’s really very simple and with a little planning you can feel a lot safer.

This plan is taken directly from the teachings of Dave Ramsey. This and more can be found at his website. Also on his website is a link for Term Life Insurance Quotes from Zander Insurance. Dave himself has life insurance through Zander Insurance.

Get Out and Meet Other SAHMs

For many years I felt like I was the only SAHM around. Friends can be hard to come by. If you are in that situation also here are a few places to start looking.
1. Church, usually your local church has at least one Mom group.
2. BoyScouts/GirlScouts can be a great way to find other parents like you, and you child will get some new friends too.
3. City league sports. Help out and coach and you will meet lots of new parents.
4. Online is a great way to find new SAHM in your area, try meetup.com. I found 3 groups in the Boise area. Other online resources: momsclub.org, mops.org, mommiesnetwork.org, hotmomsclub.com.

News Flash: SAHM's CAN Keep the House Clean

When I was a brand new SAHM I was a terrible home keeper. I didn't know how to keep anything clean. All I knew how to do let everything become atrocious and then spend 5 hours cleaning. Over the last 9 years I have learned, struggled, loved, and hated becoming a better home keeper.

My first big break through came 5 years ago when I found the FlyLady. A website designed with anything and everything you need to get organized an keep it up. You can sign up for daily emails, which I still get everyday, or download a "Control Journal." The FlyLady can and will help you get motivated and stop beating yourself up because your are a "bad" home keeper.

Speed Cleaning by Jeff Campbell and the Clean Team is a great book. It gets right into the nitty gritty of cleaning. How and when to clean something. Where as the FlyLady is wide focus, Speed Cleaning is close-up. Jeff helps you set up your cleaning kit, gives you a weekly cleaning routine and at the end of the book there is an alphabetical list of home items and how to clean them.

The best advice I can give is to just pick a system and keep it up. Do a little bit everyday, and to borrow from the FlyLady, don't go to bed with a dirty kitchen.

A Mom's Guide to an Affordable New Cell Phone

My daughter Bridget is to smart for my own good. She is a 19 mo. old high schooler, and she is obsessed with MY cell phone. She loves to throw it. Drop it. And dunk it in her juice (more than once). My poor phone was hanging together, literally, by one little wire that kept the top half from shearing away from the bottom half.

One day as I was cleaning her room she stole my phone from the kitchen counter. I had no idea. Fifteen minutes later when I came out to the living room my son, Carson, says to me,"Mom, Bridget broke your phone." Well needless to say I had heard that phrase before so I was not expecting the rampant destruction that lay waiting for me. She had laid waste, I mean, my phone was in so many pieces it was hardly discernible as a phone. I couldn't believe it! I was now phoneless.

Now I was stuck at home with my kids full time, and no land line or cell phone. I checked my contract and I couldn't get a new phone on my contract for 6 mo. I couldn't go 6mo. without a phone. But I also couldn't afford to spend at a minimum of $135 for a brand new bottom-of-the-line phone.

The solution! I found that you can get refurbished phones on Ebay. I had no idea that you could get good condition older phones on Ebay for such great prices. I ended up buying a Treo 650 for $40! I also got a travel charger and USB cord to sync my phone with the computer.

I have never had a smart phone before, and I love it. Now I am actually glad that Bridget broke my old phone. I never would had a smart phone otherwise. My Treo is in almost perfect condition and it works great. The seller I bought from even offered a 30 day warranty. I highly recommend checking Ebay if you need a new cell phone. Lastly, make sure the phone your buying will work with your carrier.

Keep the Kids Entertained all Summer

Regal theaters all over the Treasure Valley have opened up their doors to kids. Every Monday Tuesday, and and Wednesday at 10am there are 2 movies to see. The choices range from Inkheart to Veggie Tales. Make sure to show up early, about 9:30am because these theaters fill up fast. To find out whats playing at other Treasure Valley Regal theaters go to click here.
Here is an excerpt from their website:

REG’s Free Family Film Festival is Now Showing! When school’s out, kids around the country visit selected Regal theatres for the Free Family Film Festival. It’s a fun-filled nine weeks of movies for kids and parents. Since 1991, Regal has provided this service to the community, and best of all it’s FREE!

Selected G & PG movies start at 10AM each Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. First-come, first-served seating is limited to theatre capacity. The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer.

Tickets for our 2009 Free Family Film Festival are exclusively available at select theatres’ box office on the day of the show. Boise Downtown Stadium 9 760 Broad Street Boise ,ID 83702 208-338-7465 07/07/2009-07/08/2009 Kit Kittredge: American Girl (G) Nim's Island (PG) 07/14/2009-07/15/2009 Horton Hears A Who (G) Inkheart (PG) 07/21/2009-07/22/2009 The Tale Of Despereaux (G) Kung Fu Panda (PG) 07/28/2009-07/29/2009 Everyone's Hero (G) Surf's Up (PG) 08/04/2009-08/05/2009 All Dogs Go To Heaven 2 (G) Journey To The Center Of The Earth (PG) 08/11/2009-08/12/2009 Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (G) Bee Movie (PG) Boise Stadium 22 & IMAX 7701 W Overland Road Boise ,ID 83709-1628 208-377-9603 06/30/2009-07/02/2009 Kit Kittredge: American Girl (G) Nim's Island (PG) 07/07/2009-07/09/2009 Horton Hears A Who (G) Inkheart (PG) 07/14/2009-07/16/2009 The Tale Of Despereaux (G) Kung Fu Panda (PG) 07/21/2009-07/23/2009 Everyone's Hero (G) Surf's Up (PG) 07/28/2009-07/30/2009 All Dogs Go To Heaven 2 (G) Journey To The Center Of The Earth (PG) 08/04/2009-08/06/2009 Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (G) Bee Movie (PG) 08/11/2009-08/13/2009 Mr. Bean's Holiday (G) Alvin And The Chipmunks (PG)

Moms against Insomnia

Running around all day with the kids sure is exhausting. Thats why it's so funny how at night it can be impossible to get to sleep without a little help. Insomnia can mean difficulty falling asleep or difficulty staying asleep. Because insomnia can be caused by so many different things finding the cause is necessary to finding the solution. Instead of using drugs to help you sleep here are a few "natural" things you can do.

Make sure you take your minerals everyday. My Naturopath told me the first thing to do to help insomnia is making sure you put the proper minerals into your body. Potassium especially can help you relax and get to sleep. Minerals will help the muscles in your body relax instead of feeling jittery.

If that doesn't work try Calms Forte. Calms Forte is a homeopathic tablet that you can pick up at Wal-mart. I used to have to go to the health food store to find it. I have used Calms Forte for years and I even give it to my children to help them calm down and sleep. I have found that Calms Forte works best for the kind night when you are full of nervous energy and can't turn your mind off.

Valerian is an herb that can be found in almost every nutrition isle. It is very stinky but it works. Valerian relaxes the muscles in the body, and it can really help you relax. However, because it is an herb, and therefore, a drug please read the label and make sure you can take it safely. People with liver disease, those who are pregnant, and even those who operate heavy machinery should not use it.

Now, put the kids to bed, draw a bath and get your sleep on!

Nature Walk in the Heart of Boise

Free Family Fun
If you like to feel as if you can slow down and just relax, if you like to go for gentle walks in nature, or if you feel the kids need a little mid-summer education try the MK Nature Center this week. The MK Nature is a 4 acre park on the east side of Boise, the Greenbelt runs beside, and the address is 600 S Walnut St.

The MK Nature Center is really easy to find. Take the #49 City Center Exit and keep left. That will take you all the way into down town Boise. Keep straight for 1.5 miles after I-184 turns into Myrtle St. and you will end up running right into it.

If it's hot out, duh, make sure to use your sun screen and maybe your hat. We also took our own water bottles, and we were glad we did. To get into the Nature Center, park in their lot and go into the Visitor Center Building. Inside the building are quite a few animal and fish exhibits and at the front desk you can get a map of the trails. After that you can wander around to your hearts content.

The MK Nature Center has a lot to offer for any nature enthusiast and there is a lot to see. My favorite part was the hummingbird and butterfly garden. It has a large pond with a fairy tale bridge spaning it. The trails are all connecting so that you can see everything and then come full cirlce back to you care. There are lots of plants and animals to see. Well, there aren't as many animals as there are plants, but we did see a raccoon, lots of birds and a few butterflies. I was actually very surprised to see a raccoon, I've never seen a raccoon in "real life" before. My kids really like this kind of stuff, so we had lots of fun. I would recommend not going in the heat of the day like we did. The Visitor Center closes at 5pm, but the nature walk is open until sunset, so go then.