Teens and the Perfect Valentine's Day Idea

Now that the stores have ripped down the plastic snowflakes, retired the waving Santa robot to the warehouse, and replaced those ever so charming ‘sliver bells’ with gigantic half naked babies, you start to get the feeling Valentine’s day is nearing at a rapid pace.

It’s the day teens cower at the thought of handing over a rose or a box of chocolates to their ‘crush’, the day that separates the mice from the men and the girls from the women. Gear up, because every year millions of Americans are just waiting for you to give them a Valentine’s Day gift they can sink their teeth into.

If you’re anything like me that supply of Christmas candy Ol’ Saint Nick dropped into your stocking is long gone, and by this wonderful turn of events we discover a holiday to replenish out stocks of sugar. Whether you are a chocolate hog or a fruity maniac nearly everyone can be delighted with ample helpings of candy!

If you’re not one of those people who enjoy eating half their body weight in sugar, there is hope for you too. Gift baskets! If you have ever had the pleasure of receiving one of these bad-boys you are truly blessed, someone obviously likes you because every new discovery you make while opening these fantastic gifts is like a bit Christmas, or if you’re a bit of a scrooge it is like an entire birthday party in a basket. Love can’t be measure in physical gifts right? It’s the thought that counts… “Those 6 month old dollar store sweet tarts had a lot of thought behind them!”

Yeah… right…

Whether or not you are seething at my opinions, laughing at me, or cursing Aunt Alexis for those sweet tarts, the truth is this, love should be behind every gift you give, Valentines of not. Before you drive off to the mall, credit card in hand, think about who you are giving the gift to. If you have a friend who can’t stand those sweet tarts don’t get them! Expired of not! The thing is, the thought does count, and if you are still reluctant to put aside your favorite sweet and get what Earl’s tummy rumbles for, you don’t deserve the sugar coated happiness that comes on this day!

In the end no amount of candy, Valentine’s Day gifts, of baskets full of happiness can amount to what this day is really about, love for your family, friends, neighbors, and maybe even your special someone.

A Valentine's Day Poem

It's is that time of the year again.  Christmas is over and it is a new year and so now it is time for love to be in the air.  Every year I want to do something special for my husband.  Of course there are always the old stand buys.  You know, the top five Valentines gift Ideas.  The first has to be candy.  Chocolate to be exact.  What man does not love that?  The cute little heart shaped boxes fill with enough sugar to please anyone's sweet tooth.  Second on my list would be Valentines underwear.  You see them in the store and you have to wonder how many men are walking around with little hearts all over their bottoms.  Third place has to go to a romantic movie date and if you can afford it the biggest bag of popcorn.  The romantic movie is really for you, but by adding the popcorn it makes it seem like it is all about him.  The fourth best Valentines gift would have to some kind of sports tickets.  And last but not least coming in at fifth would be a beautiful candle light dinner.  What man would not love that?  Well, don't forget to drop the kiddos off at grandmas or the romantic evening might not be the best idea.

Now all those ideas are great.  I mean after all they are my top five favorites.  But I use one of them every year, so this year I want to do something different.  You see, we are a little tight this year and so I am thinking it is time for something creative.  I have to admit that I am not all that poetic, but maybe writing a poem to express how I feel would be inexpensive and something we could share over the years to come.

So here is my first poetry try.  Maybe you can do a better job, but what is important is that it is something from the heart.  I mean after all isn't that what it is all about.  Happy Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day reminds me
Of the feelings I have
Every time I think of you,
The warms feeling I have
At the sound of your voice
Valentine's Day reminds me
Of the love and comfort I get
From knowing
You are in my life.
Everything wonderful about Valentine's Day
Reminds me of you.
Happy Valentine's Day!

We Love To Give Gift Baskets Just For Fun!

I love to give gifts baskets.  There is no better feeling for me than giving someone a little something to make life a little brighter. I don’t mean giving a gift basket when you are expected to, at holiday times or birthday celebration. I mean just because.  No matter where we are in life the trials get harder and even everyday life can be difficult to manage.  So what better way to make life better for someone else than giving them a surprise just because gift basket.

I like most people am on a tight budget, but every time run to Wal-Mart or Target I make sure I hit the clearance isles. I look for those little fun things that could make a family or friends day better with a surprise gift basket made with love.

It doesn’t take much.  Candy is always fun gift basket filler, stationary, a little plant, new pencils and pens can all make a gift basket recipient feel loved and cared for.  I collect items for several months. Sometimes I really score and find a cool item or two at the dollar store. Alone it may seem just okay but put it together with a theme gift basket and WA LAH you have a wonderful creation.  Then I wait.   I watch for when I hear a friend having a hard day. 

I always keep a few baskets on hand. I can find them at garage sales and often they are like new and I always peruse the craft store as well.  I put together the basket and write a little note that lets them know I appreciate them. 

I love to send my daughter to the door, she rings the bell and we drive off quickly before anyone notices us.  Our record is 13 seconds!  Try and beat that.  I will never know what the reaction is of the people we gave the gift basket was.  But I do know one thing, the joy I had in making that basket makes me feel like I am the blessed one.  It also helps me forget my own problems and somehow puts life into perspective.

So the next time you get a chance, pause and think of how to bless someone else.  A gift basket is only one myriad of ways to make someone else’s day, and life that much better.

Gluten Free and How it Affected my Family

Growing up my sister and I always wanted kids.  We would get the winter Sears catalogue and pick out our husbands and kids.  It was so much fun dreaming as little girls about our future lives.  Time passed and we grew up. Now as adults there are moments we both would relish being little girls again.

We both still love kids.  I have 7 and she has 5.  She and her husband adopted their last child.  He is precious to all of us and maybe even loved in a more deep way because he came to our family in a unique manner. When she had him she received a baby gift basket from me. From the time he was little he had trouble digesting milk.  He was slow to grow.  Having had 4 other children my sister took this as normal.  But as he grew and had other behavior issues and digesting issues she knew something was wrong.  She tried giving him protein, taking him off of sugar; she tried everything that came to her own mind.  It wasn’t until she saw a specialist who diagnosed my sweet nephew with food allergies.  She told my sister their son was allergic to gluten.  Laura was relieved and bewildered at once.  Gluten-wasn’t it found in most everything?  How could her son eat anything?  How would they go to dinner or through the drive through after football practice and the gazillion other activities their family often has going on? 

They belong to a strong church family.  And word soon passed about their son’s food allergies.  It was only a day later that a huge gluten free gift basket arrived at her door.  It was like a breath of encouragement when she searched through the beautiful basket.  It was the beginning of a long journey to understanding what her sons needs were.  The best part is the behavioral change she saw in him.  Not only did he feel better but his skin was clearer and his teachers commented on his behavior.  I must say it is still an unknown daunting issue for me.  It is a whole new way to live and eat.  I am learning and listening to her and now another dear friend who is also gluten free.  Even our kids point out items in the store now that say “gluten free”.  I hope that one day I know enough to contribute to his health and give them my own gluten free gift baskets of love.

How To Deal With School Anxiety

I’ll never forget that first day of school.  My family had ripped me away from all my friends and a life that I cherished.  Not only would I not know anyone, but I hadn’t even had time to check out the town or walk through my new neighborhood.  This was not going to be fun.

I sat there in the third row waiting for the inevitable.  It wasn’t like I hadn’t done this before.  Every few years my dad would get a new job and away we would go.  The sweat was already beading up on my brow.  More kids were piling in and soon the teacher would make his appearance.  There he was.  A big man.  This would make it even more unpleasant. Now he was using a ruler to get the attention of the class.  Tap, tap, tap.  It echoed through my head as I sat dreading the call of attendance.  Why did they always have to do this?  Why didn’t my parents help me out with this?  Here it came.  It never took very long since my last name was at the beginning of the alphabet.  “Alexander Anderson?” Whew, that kid didn’t have the greatest name either.  But, still, it was nothing like mine.  Here it came.  “Burrrrnnaarrdd?”  The sound seemed to echo off the walls as the kids began to burst into laughter.  I slumped in my seat.  How small could I possibly get?  I could hear my voice begin to squeak.  “Its pronounce BurrNerd,” I croaked.  This elicited another round of laughter and cat calls.  “It was my uncle’s name.  No one can say Bernard correctly, so you can call me Eric.”  It didn’t help.  The teacher was somehow taken aback as if the laughter was directed towards him.  He wrapped the ruler again to regain attention.  I could see him cross out my name and apparently make a note of my “new” name.  I wondered what shade of red was on my face as I could feel the heat reflecting off my hands. 

You can imagine the difficulty of finding a place to eat lunch after a morning like that.  I decided I would try something new.  I couldn’t be the only one that was new at this school.  OK, I’m taller than most people here so I can get a good look around the cafeteria.  There was a kid by himself at a table near the play ground door.  He looked like he’d lost his best friend.  I bet his parents had made him move too.  I went over and sat down next to him.  “Hi.  My names’ Eric.”  I held my head high, put on the biggest smile I could and made believe I was the most popular kid in school.  As his head slowly lifted, I could see some color and a cautious smile crawl into his face.  Victory, I thought to myself.  I would never again think of myself as the lone kid.  Instead, I now had the power to conquer the fear and loneliness in others just by being nice to them. 

For More Information visit Planet Gift Baskets Resource Center

Massive Egg Recall - August 2010

Dan Shapley Dan Shapley – Thu Aug 19, 7:14 pm ET

(Photo: FDA)

A massive egg recall by Write County Egg has sickened hundreds of people, and affected 13 retail brands that the egg factory packages. The culprit: Salmonella on egg shells. The egg brands affected by the recall include: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, and Kemps.
Eggs are packed in 6- 12- or 18-egg cartons with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 225 and plant numbers 1026, 1413, and 1946.
Dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton. The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number. The Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P-1946 223.
Consumers should not eat the eggs and should return recalled eggs to the store where they were purchased for a full refund.
Bacterial contamination on modern industrial-scale chicken farms (factories, really) is a growing problem. Cramped conditions are breeding grounds for disease. Widespread use of antibiotics is creating drug-resistant strains of bacteria.
One antidote to the problem is to choose locally sourced eggs from farms that allow their chickens to run free. Though be aware that the label "free range" doesn't mean what you might think.
Salmonella poisoning symptoms
Within 6-to-72 hours of eating an egg, you may experience lower abdominal cramps, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting, fever, chills, malaise, nausea or headache. Symptoms may persist for as long as a week. While most people recover without treatment, some patients require hospitalization.
Among the 21,244 cases of foodborne illness reported from tainted food-related outbreaks in the United States in 2007 (the last year for which data is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), salmonella was the No. 2 cause of illness, causing 27% of foodborne illness outbreaks, including 55% of multi-state outbreaks, and 81 illnesses attributed to salmonella in eggs; five deaths resulted from salmonella-contaminated food. The two biggest foodborne illness outbreaks that year were caused by salmonella, in hummus and frozen pot pies.

Back to School Sales - Make the Most of Them

At our house we love back to school sales. It's the time where we get to feel like we are getting a great deal. The wonderful think about these sales, is not only will I fill the coffers for my own children's school year, but many times these supplies make great gifts for young children too. Here are my top ten items to stock up on.

1. Crayons, all sorts. Brand does not matter, anything $.25 cents and under is a major stock up price
2. Markers and Pencils. $.50 cents and under and we run to stock up.
3. Scissors, if your house is like mine, it likes to eat scissors and at .25 cents a pop it is worth getting 10
4. Spiral notebooks, any other time of year and they are well over $1.00 each. At $.15 a pop get 20
5. Construction paper - I don't think I even need to explain why this is a good buy.
6. Glue - Oh how much glue a preschooler can use. Add in any crafty prone children and it's a great buy.
7. Rulers - Cheap to purchase they make great straight lines when drawing.
8. Tape - So many uses, and children love to use tape on everything
9. Staplers, Removers and Hole punches, Oh my! It never hurts to have a few and some backups
10. Notebooks, if you don't buy a couple now, you will wish you did two months in when theirs is already destroyed.

Now how do these make great gifts? I love to buy the pencil boxes when they are under $.25 and fill them with markers, pencils, glue, tape and scissors. Attach to a big bag of construction paper and you have a simple and enjoyable gift for almost any young child. If your really awesome, you will stick in a bag of M&M's and some fancy little stickers. Your gift will be the hit of the party.

Outdoor Heat Beating Fun Ideas

To beat the summer heat we here at Growing Your Family, sat down with our families and came up with a list of fun things to do that help you cool off. Hope you enjoy! Leave a comment with your favorite ways to cool off.

• water balloon toss
• water bucket relay
• sprinkler dash - make an obstacle course in the back yard, while the sprinklers are running
• spray bottle cup fill (have one child with a spray bottle and one with a cup. First group to fill their cup wins.
• wash the car, or the neighbors, or the neighbors kids.
• water gun wars
• make Popsicles
• frozen t-shirt relays  - you may have to plan ahead, but freeze one t-shirt for every child, and a few for adults. First one to unstick the frozen folded t-shirt and puts it on wins.

We hope you enjoy this hot hot day and take a few minutes to cool off with these fun ideas.

A 10 Minute Break for Mom

Face it, mom's need a break once in a while. While you may not get a whole hour nap in the afternoon, or even find a minute to use the rest room with the door closed, ALL THE WAY, you can carve out little 10 minute pampering sessions that can extend the wear and tear on your mental state. Here are just a few simple remedies to capture a few minutes of needed revival.

1. Peppermint Foot Soak - Have some fresh peppermint in the garden? Even several peppermint tea bags will work. Boil them for 10 minutes in 8 cups of water. Carry it outside and add another 8 cups of cool water. While the kids are playing, soak your feet in some cooling peppermint water

2. Put on your favorite music and dance with the kids around the living room for a few minutes. Happy music and laughter will serve your soul well.

3. Treat yourself to an outdoor hair washing. Yes, it's simple, and yes, it's very refreshing. A cool hose, on a hot day over just your hair and head will feel wonderful and invigorate your senses.

Potty Training - How does it work?

Summer time was always my choice for potty training. Since it's summer time I thought I would share my story and how we made it work.
I have potty trained twins, a boy, girls a single baby and a dog. Okay, the dog is a little different but I did train him! For the twins we chose summer time because they could run around in the back yard without a diaper until I could see them pee. Funny thing is, they were just as amazed that they were peeing as I tried to be. One of the first things you need to know as a potty trainee, is what it feels like when you need to go. You can't learn that if you don't know your going. This is why summer time was our choice training time.
The second thing we started was potty charts with rewards. At first each child got a reward for sitting on the potty. Usually a sticker to go on a chart. After three stickers they were rewarded with a fruit snack. Not too many, as they will sit on the potty a lot to earn rewards. After a couple of days of sitting and getting rewards, we worked on peeing to get rewards. Even a dribble got praised and rewarded. It takes awhile, but making it fun to learn, giving rewards and lavishing a lot of praise will make it easier.

Home Made Vanilla Ice Cream

Not only is ice cream a tasty way to cool off this summer, but making it can be just as fun. First off kids love to eat what they have had a hand in preparing. Secondly, you get to control the ingredients and feel better about what you are feeding your family.

All you need is a ice cream machine, be it electric or the old fashion hand crank. With some milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract or better yet, vanilla beans, you have the working ingredients for a delicious summer time treat.

Head over to Planet Gift Baskets to find out how to put these simple wholesome ingredients together to make ice cream.

Rhino Toys Inc. Recall

Keeping you informed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 10, 2010 Release #10-260

Firm's Recall Hotline: (877) 887-4433 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Rhino Toys Inc. Recalls Bead Toy Due to Choking Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: Beado handheld bead play toys
Units: About 5,500
Importer: Rhino Toys Inc., of Santa Cruz, Calif.
Hazard: The toys' plastic wires can detach from the hubs due to insufficient adhesive, allowing the beads to slide off. The loose beads pose a choking hazard to young children.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: This recall involves the Beado hand-held beaded play toy with model number 1501 and date code 02910 04323A. The product measures six inches in diameter and is composed of four blue plastic "hubs", six white plastic "wires" and twelve multi-colored beads that slide along the wires. The model number and date code are printed on the bottom of the packaging and the date code is also inside of the blue hubs (see picture below). Beados that have a date code different than 02910 or have a date code of 02910 and an inspection sticker on the bottom of the packaging and a black mark by the date code inside the blue hub (see picture below) are not included in this recall.
Sold at: Specialty toy and juvenile retailers from March 2010 through May 2010 for about $12.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using this recalled toy and return it to the store where it was purchased to receive a full refund or a replacement Beado hand-held beaded toy.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, please contact Rhino Toys toll free at (877) 887-4433 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.rhinotoys.com

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Are you looking for a food that can be easily transported, last under summer heat and fill the tummy of those little energy balls without spoiling their dinner? Here is our favorite healthy oatmeal cookie. Full of fiber, dried fruits and honey this little cookie will keep them happy until the BBQ is ready.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies (with Honey)
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups of  Rolled Oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Wet ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 Tablespoon Molasses
• 1 egg (beat with 1 Tbsp Water)
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Yummy ingredients

• 1/2 cup mixed dried fruit
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together.
3. Mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff. Add the raisins and walnuts and mix. If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit of flour. If it isn't binding together very well, you may wish to add an egg white.
4. COOL the mix for 20 minutes in the fridge. (This causes it to harden like a cookie dough)
5. Preheat the oven to 335 degrees (lower temperature due to the honey in the recipe which will burn more easily).
6. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto your baking sheet (I recommend lining the baking sheet with parchment paper). Press down with a fork to ensure even cooking.
7. Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie. The cookies freeze very well and make a great snack! Enjoy.

This recipe was taken from http://www.wholegraingourmet.com, and varied slightly. Our family loved this recipe!

Healthy Summer Pasta Salad

Elaine Magee, MPH, RD from WebMD recently posted this amazing pasta salad. We tried it out and fell in love. It's a perfect compliment to a hot sunny day when you do not want to cook. Kids love the fresh cherry tomatoes and adults love the whole grain pasta and fresh veggies. Not only is this meal healthy, quick and tasty, it's also quite inexpensive. If you have tomatoes and basil growing in your back yard let the kids pick a few to add to the salad. We didn't have salami, but went ahead and chopped up some peperoni when we tried it. I think it would even taste wonderful without meat. Maybe adding in a few more veggies like broccoli or asparagus would be good too. Elaine did a great job reducing the fat and calories often associated with pasta salads and gave us a great base salad by which we can enjoy a different way each time we make it.

Insalata Caprese (Pasta Salad)

If you boil the pasta in the morning, drain, and let chill in the refrigerator, all you have to do is toss the ingredients together and dinner is served!

4 cups cooked whole-grain pasta blend, cooled
2 cups ripe cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, cut or torn into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
16 slices reduced-fat salami, quartered (optional)

• Place all the ingredients in a medium serving bowl and toss to blend well.
• Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

The Cleaning Power of Baking Soda

The last stop on our safe and effective cleaning products is baking soda. Soda is a great deodorizer, cleaner and gentle abrasive.

One of my favorite uses for baking soda is in the bathroom. Mix with just a little water to make a paste, and you have a soft abrasive cleaner without any hidden chemicals. It works great to polish sinks, deodorizer toilets and scrub the soap scum out of bathtubs. I also love it in the kitchen sink. Scrubbing the stainless steel or your porcelain sink has never been easier. When your done, run it down the garbage disposal with a lemon peel and your kitchen will smell wonderful.

You can also use baking soda to :

• add a deodorizer to your cat litter
• clean grout with baking soda and a scrub brush
• polish silver
• soak burnt on food by add baking soda to hot water
• sprinkle over pet vomit after all the major items have been removed, let dry and vacuum. 
• use to remove crayon from walls and tables

Cleaning with Club Soda

As part of our miracle cleaning solutions, we have club soda. Now I for one am new to using club soda. I always preferred the run around screaming stomping up the red kool aid with a towel method. Okay, well maybe I didn't prefer it, but that is what I did. Then one day a wise woman grabbed the bottle of club soda and started pouring. I was amazed to see the kool aid come right out. In fact I was so amazed, I took the bottle and started cleaning all the spots in the living room, while the party was still going on. Yes, the things you do when you find a cleaning product that works.

Here are some tips from the club soda pros who have known all about this secret weapon for years.

Don't be afraid to get your carpet really wet. It won't hurt it.
Blot up a spill easily by folding a rag and standing on it. The pressure will help the towel soak up the spill
The carbonation in the soda brings the spill to the top and the salt in the club soda keeps the stain from setting.
Using a dab of club soda works on clothing too, should you spill in a restaurant.

What does Lemon Juice Clean?

Lemon juice is a natural bleach and disinfectant. Not only that, but it's safe and leaves a pleasant smell.
To make a cleaner in a easy to use spray bottle, you need 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 1 teaspoon of borax. You could always add a drop or two of dish soap if you find you need a more sudsy approach. This is an all purpose hard surface cleaning agent. Perfect to hand off to your kids to clean kitchen counters and bathrooms.

One of my favorite uses for lemon juice is cleaning stains off of kids hands. I wish I knew exactly why it works so well, but it does.

Here are a few other handy little tips for using easy to find and inexpensive lemon juice.

1. Using lemon juice and salt, you can scrub and shine all your pots and pans
2. Remove rust from clothing
3. Remove fruit based stains in clothing (a summer helper)
4. Perfect straight from the bottle as a toilet cleaner

The Wondrous Cleaning Power of Vinegar

With all the latest "green" cleaning products on the market, and still the laborious task of deciphering exactly what is in those "green" cleaners, why not step back in a time just a little and look at the wonder products of your grandmothers day.

White Vinegar - A true wonder cleaner. Here are just a few things vinegar is good for when you are cleaning.

• Spray on vinegar to showers, tubs and sinks. Let sit for 15 minutes. Removes even the toughest soap scum
• Add 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar to hot water along with your regular dish washing liquid. Cuts grease on dishes and crystal
• Add 1/4 cup vinegar to the washing machine during the final rinse to soften clothes and remove lint from dark clothes!
• Apply undiluted vinegar to your skin and let dry. Bugs hate the taste of it and the scent disappears quickly.
• Make window cleaner with 1/4 cup vinegar to 1 quart water.
• Clean vinyl floors with 1/2 cup vinegar to 1 gallon hot water 
• 1 cup of borax along with 1 cup vinegar in your toilet bowl will have those stains coming off. If you have a stubborn stain, pour vinegar over the spot, sprinkle with borax, and let sit for two hours. Swish and flush, it should be that easy.

Tomorrow the power of baking soda.....

Spending Time With Your Children At The Library

Summer time is a great time to check out your local library. Many libraries have summer reading programs with prizes going to the family or child that reads the most books or reads out of the most categories. Many times the library will have childrens's programs for differing age groups including teen book groups. This summer grab a book from your local library and hit a nice shady park and read for a bit.

Talking to your Children About the Oil Spill

This article deals will give you some ideas on how to talk to your child about the oil spill. While families living farther away from the oil spill may not have children who are constantly in contact with it, the news or local paper will catch their attention. 

Erin Street wrote a great article on how and why you should talk with your children about it. It can be found at Sunset Magazine or by following this link. How To Talk To Your Kids About The Oil Spill

Five Cleaning Products You Should Never Run Out Of

This summer with the kids at home running in and out with their friends, the pets running around and the general business of summer, you need these five cleaning products stocked up and ready to use. They are:

1. White Vinegar
2. Baking Soda
3. Lemon Juice
4. Club Soda
5. Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover

You won't have to worry about opening all the windows just to clean the house this summer. All of these products are safe and most importantly, cost effective. Over the next few days we will explore what each of the wonder products can do to help your house stay clean.

Summer Fun In Your Own Back Yard

Sometimes its the simple things in life that are best. Kids remember a book better when it's read as a family. They enjoy vacation more if mom and dad are laughing and having fun instead of stressed about the next best thing to see and do. It's true about your own back yard too. While many times we go to great pains to save up for the latest and best back yard set, kids enjoy four boards thrown together with a blanket over it that they made better.

Here is a simple activity that you can do in your back yard that will not only keep your kids brains going this summer but is easy for anyone. It's called What is in a Square Foot?


Here is what you need:

• 4 Pieces of 12 inch string for each person
• 1 Ruler for each person
• Magnifying Glass per person
• Pencil and paper

Mark off a square foot by laying down your string in a square pattern. Use your ruler and magnifying glass to measure and see all the interesting things in your square foot. Draw and write about each item you found.
Many times you will find all sorts of bugs, mini plants, small pieces of trash or toys. When your done compare notes. Did anyone find something unusual? Did they find a lot?

It's a simple little activity, but opens the door to so much more. Take time this summer to enjoy your kids and nature.

Is Mom or Dad Addicted to Technology?

It's a well known thought that pre-teens and teens are highly addicted to all the social media outlets. My Space, Facebook and Twitter are quickly out pacing plain old emails. Texting is a new way of communicating, even in the same room. Yes, that is very sad! Here comes the "but".....but, did you know parents are just as guilty of this addiction? With blackberries that can go anywhere, download email, update facebook and automatically tweet we have become information addicted. What happened to the days when the answering machine caught all your calls while you were out? Go back even farther, what happened when no one was home?
CBS recently covered this topic. Here is the video, that may just convict you. If it doesn't, either your doing a great job keeping your priorities in check or your listening to this video while your tweeting that your on the computer.



Watch CBS News Videos Online

Photo Scavenger Hunt is a Perfect Birthday Game for Teens

Most of us have been part of a scavenger hunt at one time or another. It's fun and anyone can play. One of the biggest challenges we have as parents of teens and pre-teens is to throw a party with games that they enjoy. Pin the tail on the donkey just doesn't cut it for a 13 year old. Find a limb, a stone and a green item, well it doesn't cut it either.
So here is a new twist on the old scavenger hunt. It really can be done in one of two ways. The first way is to hand out disposable cameras, or have everyone bring a digital camera and have a list of things they need to take pictures of. This can be done in teams, one camera per team and should be done with-in walking distance of the object you want photographed. Here are some ideas:
church building
bell tower
playground
yellow house (or what ever is near)
field
horse
beetle
You get the idea. Customize it to items around your neighborhood.

The second idea will take some parent cooperation but is more memorable and fun. It's called a video scavenger hunt. With a parent driving, and someone recording on a digital camcorder you go around town doing required activities. Here are some examples:
walk through a drive through and order a hamburger
play Chinese fire drill at a red light
get everyone in your group in the shower and turn on the water(dressed of course)
unroll a roll of toilet paper
Get someone to unroll their window and offer them some grey poupon mustard
Order a hamburger with no meat or sauces, then eat it for the camera
Stuff an entire donut in your mouth
Everyone has to climb on a fence and smile for the camera
Run 1/4 mile on a school track, backwards

Have a time limit and when it is all done, everyone meets back for popcorn, or cake and ice cream and watches each teams videos. Everyone wins, because everyone had fun.

The Photo-shop Effect

In this day and age having a healthy view of your body is important. Letting your children know that the perfection they see in magazines and on advertisements is not real or really even attainable. In the last few years the Hollywood secret has been let out. Every photo released is indeed photo shopped. Understanding this yourself, and imparting this to your children, will help them to have a real understanding of health and beauty. Don't be fooled by the perfect models in a magazine.





Thank you to Diet Health for putting out this video. If you are interested in more of what they have to say take a look at their website.

The Mozart Effect

Dr. Glenn Wilson on the Mozart Effect. I appreciate Dr. Wilson's views on this subject. It has been well touted over recent years that by having your children listen to Mozart or any classical music you could create a genius child. The studies, while they show it does help, do not prove that to be so. After you watch this video, head over to his site and watch his entire speech. It's educational and easy to understand. Truth be told, enough research has not been complied to prove or disprove this theory. Listening to complex music is good for a child and for the adults too.

Product Recall - GE 12 Cup Coffee Makers

We here at Growing Your Family feel the need to keep up on product news and recalls that can affect your life. Since we think a majority of our readers drink coffee or at least own a coffee maker we wanted to bring to your attention the latest recall. Here is an excerp from the Consumer Products Website :

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: General Electric®-branded 12-cup digital coffee makers
Units: About 900,000
Importer: Walmart Stores Inc., of Bentonville, Ark.
Hazard: The coffee maker can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: Walmart has received 83 reports of overheating, smoking, melting, burning and fire, including three reports of minor burn injuries to consumer’s hands, feet and torso. Reports of property damage include a significant kitchen fire and damage to countertops, cabinets and a wall.
Description: This recall involves General Electric®-brand 12-cup coffee makers sold in white or black. The digital coffee maker has programmable functions and plastic housing. The GE logo is printed on the base of the coffee maker and the model number is printed on the bottom of the base.


No other models are included in this recall.
Sold exclusively at: Walmart stores nationwide from March 2008 through January 2010 for about $30.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled coffee makers and return the product to any Walmart for a full refund.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Walmart at (800) 925-6278 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s website at www.walmart.com

Helping Your Child Understand History

Memorial Day, Veterans Day, President's Day they all seem to come and go and many times all we enjoy is having the day off. Why is it that our nation observes these days? What is so important that even in our busy, hectic, never can get everything done, lives we take the day off for anything?

It's important to share with your children the historical reasons why these days are national holidays. Why young men and women still fight for our country and the freedoms we enjoy. Why we pause to honor those who have died for our rights, and who still fight for those rights.

While doing my own research for my children I came across an informative website that breaks information into age appropriate materials. With each idea they present an age appropriate activity to help explain the topics.

Here is one of their ideas taken from the Helping Your Child Learn History - No child left behind act.

Time to Celebrate
Grades 4–5
On quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies is written the phrase “E pluribus
unum,” which is Latin for “Out of many, one.” It is an appropriate phrase
to describe how our country has developed and the many different people
and groups who have made it so great.

What You Need
U.S. coins
Map of the world
Calendar

What to Do
 Have your child look at U.S. coins for
the phrase “E pluribus unum.”
Explain that the phrase means “Out
of many, one,” and that it refers to
our country as one nation with many
peoples and cultures. Explain that it
isn’t our families’ ethnic heritages that bind us together as
Americans, but shared democratic values. With your child, talk about the following holidays that are celebrated
in the United States. Look at a calendar and add other holidays, if
you choose. Next to each holiday write (or have her write) when it’s
celebrated and what it celebrates.


New Year’s Day January 1 New beginning
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday January 15 Birth of a leader
Presidents’ Day Third Monday of February Originally, honored
Presidents Lincoln and Washington; currently honors all U.S. presidents
Memorial Day Last Monday of May War dead
Independence Day July 4 Adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776
Labor Day First Monday of September Working people
Columbus Day Second Monday of October Landing of Columbus in the Bahamas in 1492
Veterans Day November 11 War veterans
Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Day of thanks for divine goodness
Christmas Day December 25 Birth of Christ

Summer Fruit Salad with Spinach

One of my favorite things to eat during the summer is salad. After awhile though, a green salad can get kind of boring. With all the beautiful fresh fruits you can buy at your local farmers market, salads can take on a whole new dimension. Kids who won't touch a savory salad, will gulp down with delight the sweet fruits that adorn this salad.

Ingredients

4 cups baby spinach leaves - rinsed
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup sweet blueberries
1 mango, peeled and diced
2 kiwi, peeled and sliced

Mix the spinach and fruit with this amazing poppy seed dressing found on Planet Gift Baskets.

I hope you will enjoy this salad as much as we do!

Nature-Deficit Disorder

I had the opportunity recently to attend a seminar by Richard Louv. He was here in town talking about his recently published book Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Louv has traveled around the country talking with parents, like myself, about the dangers of video games, computer time and watching too much T.V.

When I was growing up, we got about 3 channels, no vcr, dvd's, dvr's and the hottest game console was the Atari. I spent most of my waking hours playing outside with friends, my pets, or my imagination. Richard Louv and his research has confirmed that being outdoors is more stimulating then even the fastest game console or computer animation tools.

It doesn't require much effort to get your children outside playing with their friends. Just call the families and tell them to kick all the kids out for the afternoon. Let them sit around feeling sorry for themselves. It won't be long before someone picks up a stick and starts using their imagination. Your children will find much more satisfaction in their spare time and much less in their non interactive t.v. Get in to nature with your children by going camping, taking a walk with a park, or head to a national park where they can climb around on rocks, wade in the creek and explore nature for themselves.

You if want to learn more about Richard's book and his studies go to his site and read up on his research.

Father's Day Gifts

Father's Day is fast approaching and it's time to think of gifts dad might enjoy. While no dad will turn down a day of non-stop game action, or golfing guilt free, why not put your heads together this year and see what kind of gift you can give dad that will be memorable.

Dad's love everything from food to hobbies. Why not try and combine both. Is dad a fisherman? Make him a gift basket full of gummy worms along with some new fancy flies. Add dad's favorite sports drink, some jerky and he will be ready for his next big trip.

Is your dad an avid huntsman? Find some jelly bean bullets, venison jerky, scent screen and a new camouflage hat. Add to a gift basket that can double as a carry all and see dad's eyes wide with excitement for the next big hunt.

If your still out of ideas, check out some of these gift baskets that give dad a reason to put his feet up and take the day off with his favorite kids.

Book Review - Clock without a Face

This book is a family must have. Especially if you and your children enjoy treasure hunts. While Where's Waldo and Search Puzzle books all have meanings hidden within their pages, this book has clues to real life treasures. Sure it's a book for children, it appeals to children with it's features. However the authors hit it on the nail when they created this book because it has the adult world flocking to read it. Buried in twelve very real places are genuine emerald studded numbers. If you happen to be able to solve the puzzle and find one of these numbers you get to keep it. The only way to find them is to solve the problems in "The Clock without A Face".

Enjoy!

Gifts For Your Child's Teacher

As the school year comes to an end you may be thinking about those thank you gifts you can give your child's teacher. While no teacher will turn down gift cards to their local coffee shop or supply center sometimes it's nice to give them something memorable. Here are a few unique and personalized gifts you can give.

Painted flower pot with herbs or flower

Handmade note cards with a book of stamps

Scrapbook of the activities and children in the class.

Gourmet snacks

Handwritten thank you note from you and your child

Photo key chains

A plant for their yard that will come back each year

Most teachers will tell you that a sincere thank you note is all they really want or need. Teachers give so much to our students every day and sometimes they just don't feel appreciated by their students or their parents. Take time this year, no matter what your budget, and write a little note thanking them for caring for your child.

Gluten Free Father's Day Gifts

I know in our family sometimes it's hard to find gifts that dad can enjoy since he is sensitive to gluten. While we are getting better at making some great tasting food the whole family loves, we have also been able to find food gifts that he enjoys. Here are a few of our favorites.

This basket is filled with some great gluten free products and includes :

• Lucy's Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Wafer Cookies
• Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Pretzels
• Cary's Of Oregon English Chocolate Toffee Box
• Honey & Chocolate Bar
• Gluten Free Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix

Dad will love this white chocolate pear sauce over his favorite fruits or gluten free desserts. The ingredients are simple and gluten free.

• Premium Guittard White Chocolate
• Pure Vanilla
• Agave Nector
• Chardonnay Grape Juice
• Natural Pear Flavor
• Sugar

 The Wisconsin Morning Homemade Gluten Free Bakery Pack  
is available on Amazon and is made in a gluten free certified bakery. You won't have to sacrifice on taste with these treats. Dad is sure to love them.

Product Review on Betty Crocker's Gluten Free Mixes

Check out our sister blog for a review on Betty Crocker's Gluten Free Brownies. One of our moms recently made these brownies and her whole family was fooled. It goes to show that we have come a long way in producing products that are good for you, especially people with allergies, and yet the whole family enjoys.

While your there you might give her some feedback on your own samplings of gluten free foods.

Explore Your Children's Interests With Them

A great way to spend quality time with your children is by taking an interest in the things they feel passionate about. For my children it is music. More specifically their stringed instruments. Just listening to my kids practice gives them such confidence. At times I interact with their instruments, much to their delight. They love seeing mom try to do something they do with ease. Since my kids are young taking them to the music store to see the more expensive instruments, asking questions and exploring the things they can add is a great way for me to get involved with their passion.

If you child loves animals, a trip to the shelter might encourage them. If your child enjoys cooking, finding a recipe and cooking it together  will give you some good quality time together. What if your child finds that books are their enjoyment? Read the same book and have your own book club at home. It's fun to find a common ground with your kids and keep the lines of communication open.

Sneaking Veggies into Your Kids Favorite Foods

Here are some great ways to hide those veggies for even the pickiest of our eaters.

1. Grate carrots into your child's favorite muffin recipe.

2. Chop zucchini, corn, carrots or cauliflower fine and add to spaghetti. Cover with marinara sauce.

3. Juice a carrot, stalk of celery and apples for a veggie juice drink.

4. Lots of veggies can hide in meatloaf. Chop finely and no one will no the difference.

If you are a lucky parent and your child loves salad, almost any fresh veggie can be chopped and added to the mix.
If your child loves to dip his apples, try giving him carrots, sugar snap peas, broccoli and cauliflower to dip in ranch instead.
Mac cheese is a favorite among the children in our family, by adding peas and chopped broccoli they will never notice the taste.

Birthday Gifts for Pre-Teens

I used to think that buying gift for young kids was hard. Now that I have two pre-teens I see I was wrong. We just recently held a birthday party for our 12 year old twins. For weeks we begged, pleaded and hinted for them to give us gift ideas. When all else failed, I gave them money. They were sure they didn't want me picking out their clothes. They laughed at any thought of toys I considered.
I realize now, that I better start preparing for their next birthday. To my readers I ask, I plead, tell me what your pre-teens and teens love. Have you found something or someway of purchasing gifts for them they like? I know I used to be a teen, but I also know I enjoyed cash more then anything since as a teen your always in short supply.

Children's Medicine Recalled

Children's cold, allergy medicine recalled

By the CNN Wire Staff

May 1, 2010 5:23 p.m. EDT

A child receives drops of Children's Tylenol after getting a vaccination.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Children's Motrin, Tylenol among drugs being recalled for failing to meet quality standards
  
• Recall not based on adverse health effects, company says
  
• Drugs were made in United States, distributed to other countries
  

(CNN) -- A voluntary recall has been issued for more than 40 over-the-counter drugs for children, including Tylenol and Motrin, because they don't meet quality standards.
"This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events," McNeil Consumer Healthcare said in a statement Friday. "However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children."
FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg gave a similar recommendation in a statement Saturday, saying, "we want to be certain that consumers discontinue using these products," though she called the chance for serious health problems "remote."
"Some products in the recall may have a higher concentration of active ingredient than specified while others may have inactive ingredients that don't meet testing requirements, the company said.
The company said it issued the recall after consulting with the Food and Drug Administration. The affected brands include: Tylenol Infants' Drops, Children's Tylenol Suspensions, Children's Tylenol Plus Suspensions, Motrin Infant Drops, Children's Motrin Suspensions, Children's Zyrtec Liquids in Bottles and Children's Benadryl Allergy Liquids in Bottles.
The drugs were made in the United States and distributed to Canada, the Dominican Republic, Dubai, Fiji, Guam, Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and Kuwait.
"There are a number of other products on the market, including generic versions of the recalled products, which are intended for use in infants and children and are not affected by the recall," the FDA said Saturday in issuing guidance to parents.

More details are available by calling 1-888-222-6036 or visiting McNeil's website.

Warning Signs That Your Child is Being Bullied

As parents it is our job to make sure our children feel safe and can grow in the environment they are in. Part of raising excellent children is knowing the different ways our children express themselves. Some children will openly tell you if something at school or church is bothering them. Others will internalize their emotions causing them to act out. It is our job, as hard as it is, to unlock their hearts and get them to feel comfortable opening up to us. There are signs that even your child may not really understand that let you know something is wrong. Today we will concentrate on bullying. What are the signs that your child may be being bullied?

1. They seem anxious or nervous to go to school. We are not talking about first day jitters or test anxiety here. This would be a child who enjoyed school, or looked forward to seeing friends at school that suddenly or over a short period of time becomes an anxious child. This should be a warning flag. If your child will not speak up, or maybe they don't understand themselves, it's time for you to talk with their teacher. Remember it's not always children who bully. If you get an answer you feel is weak, it's okay to go higher and talk to the principal.

2. Suddenly losing interest in school or activities. This child was always eager to get to school or church or after school activity. Now they waste time, start moving in slow motion or otherwise drag their feet, often arriving late. This should be a big warning sign. When a child's personality changes over a certain activity or all activities it's time to step in. Again if your child will not open up to you, you will have to either stay and observe or start talking to the adults in direct supervision of your child. This is not just becoming a teen and mismanagement of time, this is purposeful forgetting or stalling.

3. Eating inconsistencies should be another huge warning sign. This seems to happen over a short period of time where a child's eating habits show a significant change. Eating to sooth and comfort themselves, or not eating because they are nervous and nauseated. If left to itself it could turn into an eating disorder. If you are concerned talking to your family doctor may help. Children go through growth spurts and odd eating tendencies frequently. However, if your child's personality is also changing, or they seem consistently ill it's time to get it checked out.

4. Trouble sleeping or having nightmares should raise your flag again. These symptoms are often related to anxiousness and nervousness. This could be the result of bullying at school.

5. If your child starts becoming sick often or seems to have an unusual amount of headaches these should not be ignored. Sit down with your child and have a heart to heart. If your child will not open up to you, it is time to step up and look around. Talk to other adults in the child's life. If your child has a huge resistance to this it's time to put down an ultimatum. Either your child talks to you, or you will talk to friends and teachers to find answers.

Being bullied by a teacher, adult or child is not acceptable. Just because it was in school when you were, or the saying "there is always a bully deal with it" does not make it okay. Yes, bullies have always and will always be around. Bullies have problems too. They should be looked upon with sympathy and helped too. This however does not give them a free ticket to hurt other children so that they may feel better about themselves. If your child will not open up to you, you must step up and take measures to find out what is going on. It is your duty as a parent to let your child learn and grow in a healthy environment. Nothing is ever perfect, but an ongoing issue should be addressed quickly.

Bedroom Makeovers in No Time

Do your kids hate cleaning their rooms? Do you find it difficult to be inspired in your own room? One day a month take some family time to clean each others rooms. There are two ways to go about this. Every one pitches in and cleans every ones bedroom. Together go to the bedroom needing help and every one has a job. Change sheets, Make Bed and Arrange stuffed animals. Put all toys away in proper places, and wipe down furniture. Hang up clothes, take down dirty laundry. Garbage duty, pick up garbage and empty garbage cans. Vacuum and dust. Before you know it every ones room will be clean and you will have worked together to achieve this.
The second way to go about this, if your rooms are too small or you just would like to change it up is to have every one in the family clean someone else's room. Meaning, mom and dad, one of the kids cleans yours. Now you can have rules that say beds, toys, garbage only. This keeps older kids from feeling their personal items, clothing and desks will be taken out of their unique way of sorting things. Sometimes it's easier to clean someone else's room then your own.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

If this doesn't effect you, I don't know what will. This generation of children we are raising is on it's way to becoming the first generation of children that will not live as long as their parents. Pretty scary thought if you ask me. Why is it? With the U.S becoming number one in highest percentages of heart disease, obesity and diabetes our diet is destroying us.
Jamie Oliver is well known for many things, but his number one goal was to change the way children in Britain ate. He succeeded and now he has come to the U.S to take on the school lunch programs and the towns restaurants and homes.. He has started with Huntington, West Virginia - which has been called the unhealthiest city in America. Jamie's show Food Revolution will take you behind the scenes of our school breakfast and lunch programs to see what we are really feeding our children. It will open your eyes, break you heart, and hopefully cause you to stand up and make a difference. He has a petition you can sign on his website that says "I support the Food Revolution. America's kids need better food at school and better health prospects. We need to keep cooking skills alive." Show your support here. If you need more information watch Jamie Oliver's Trailer here.

National No TV Week April 21-26th

A great event that wasn't running when I was a kid is National turn off your TV week. Of course maybe when I was a kid I wasn't watching as much tv as kids today either. So, why do we have a national no tv week? In todays information overload and technologically rich society many adults forget that they didn't grow up with all the screen time. There were no computers, video games, and endless cartoon networks. If you got up early on Saturday you might be lucky to catch a few cartoons, and then you were off to run around the neighborhood or entertain yourself with your imaginary army. When everyone sits in front of the TV to be entertained it cuts in to social interaction with family members and friends. Now, movies once in a while are fine, but they should be a treat, not the norm. National No TV Week is doing just that. Helping today's families see that there are many things you can do with your family and friends that do not involve the TV.

Will you participate?

Check out some great ideas at the Screen Time - Turnoff Week website. This website also several different links to some pretty hard to swallow data. Check out the Screens and Young Children article. While this site seems to be a little outdated, the forums are still going strong so check them out while you are then and chat with other parents about No Tv Week ideas.

Target Stores Working On Making A Greener Place for You to Shop

In honor of Earth Day, many store have been publishing what they are doing to go green. Our recent find was Target. Here are a few things they are doing to lessen their carbon footprint.

Reduction of overhead lighting from 4 lamps to two in over 500 stores.
LED lights are now being used in store signs resulting in a 40% improvement per case.
20 Million miles and 3 million gallons of fuel were saved in 2009 by loading the Target trucks smarter
21 stores in California and Hawaii have solar panels that generate 15-20% of the store's energy needs.

When it comes to conserving water, Target is right there leading the way.

By using ultra low flow hand washing faucets in their new stores they are using 80% less water.
Using Smart Irrigation reduces the amount of water needed to maintain landscape
270 acres of storm water retention ponds have been created to capture the runoff from their stores nationwide.

Also be in line this week to receive a free reusable bag at Target stores. 1.5 million will be given away. Not able to get to the stores? Send in 5 target plastic bags and receive a coupon for $1.00 off a reusable bag making it less then $.50 cents.

Head over to Target.Com/Eco-friendly to find out more about Targets bid to go green.

Free Starbucks today April 15th 2010

Join the movement. On April 15th, bring a reusable travel mug into your local Starbucks and get a free brewed coffee.

One person can save trees, together we can save forests.

For the good of the planet, Starbucks is encouraging everyone to switch from paper cups to reusable travel mugs. One day in March thousands of New Yorkers made the switch. Join them now by taking a pledge to do the same.

Check out Starbucks Website Here The Big Picture and see what you can do to make a difference.

Slider or Zipper? What food storage bag is better?

It's no secret people have their favorites. Depending on what you use your food storage bag for, I bet you have your favorite brand too. While I have used many different brands the only difference I have found was how well the seal worked. I have used my food storage bags to seal up cheese, store spaghetti sauce or hold messy berries.
I love food storage bags for other things too. In our craft drawer I have little googly eyes, ribbons, stickers and patches stored in them. I even have used them to store my sewing notions in instead of letting them float around my sewing basket. While it doesn't really matter what brand or style I choose for things like this, I have found that the zipper bags work much better then the slider version. In many name brand and store brands I have broke many sliders before I even got anything in the bag.
Another non-food way of using the storage bags is for traveling. I love knowing that if my perfume spills, it won't get all over my toothbrush. On the same hand, if my toothbrush is not dry, it won't make all the make up containers wet. Just recently we packed some liquid benadryl for the kids along with a few other medicines. The lid was not tight enough and leaked all over the other contents. Thankfully it was in a separate bag and didn't get all over the clothing. I love my zipper bags. What have you used yours for? 

New BPA warning for Families

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recently updated their position on Bisphenol A widely known as BPA, which is used in clear plastic bottles and in many linings of food and beverage cans. They now say their may be reason for concern about the health risks BPA poses to  unborn children as well as infants and young children.
Consumer Reports resident toxicologist Urvashi Ranagan Ph.D. believes they have enough proof to ban all products that use BPA.
So if your a cautious mom or dad, what bottles and drink containers are safe?  Evenflo makes glass bottles that have never contained BPA and are easy to find in many stores. Gerber also makes a clear plastic bottle that is made out of polypropylene, which is BPA free. For yourself and your older children check out this article from Good Housekeeping. They tested 32 water bottles and brought you the results. It available on line here.
I found the article helpful. Not only do they give you the pros and cons of all bottles but choose bottles in all price ranges. When your on a budget, and who isn't nowadays, having these helpful reviews gives you the knowledge you need to purchase the safest and most functional bottle for your family.

Spending Quality Time with Your Children

A great way to carve out some time with your children is to start a garden with them. This garden does not need to be huge in any sense. A small 3x3 raised garden bed planted with tomatoes, strawberries, carrots and squash will provide hours of enjoyment for both you and your child. All of these items are easy to grow and with the exception of carrots can be found at your local gardening center already started and ready to plant.
Teaching your child to pull out the weeds that can choke out your growing plants is a great lesson in protecting their own growth from things that can hurt them. Depending on the age of the child you can include talks about how drugs or smoking can damage your body in a way such as a weed takes away from the plant that bears fruit.
If you set aside one hour a week to spend with your child in the garden, you will instill a love of nurturing a plant and of continued communication between yourselves.

Get Paid To Recycle

I ran across an article in the paper about a company that gave money incentives to their garbage customers that recycled more. I ran off to the Internet to Google this company and find out if they were in our area. After all who couldn't use a few more dollars in this economy.
 

Recycle Bank  is not available in my town, but it may be in yours. News is they are expanding every day. Bad news for me, they started on the East coast and I am on the West. Good news, they pay you in points to redeem for gift cards to  Starbucks, ACME, Target, Petco, Bed Bath & Beyond and smaller business in your community. The more you recycle the more you get paid. A special monitoring system on your personal recycling can measures how much you have recycled. They don't stop there, shop greener and earn even more points. Choosing greener products for your home will boost your point levels even higher.

Check out the website and put in your request. Maybe soon it will be here so I can use it too. I know it would encourage me to be more conscientious in recycling.

Easter Recipes

Do you need to gain 10 pounds? I didn't think so. I stumbled across this awesome website from Duncan Hines. Full of amazing dessert recipes and baking tips and even a club that will save you money you can't go wrong checking this out. Just looking at this site caused me to gain some weight.

My favorite I found here was their Extreme Fudgy Peanut Butter Brownies.

Ingredients Baking Instructions

* 1 box Duncan Hines® Milk Chocolate Brownie Mix
* 2 large eggs
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 cup milk chocolate chips
* 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
* 3/4 cup peanut butter
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 2-4 tablespoons cream
* 1 tub Duncan Hines® Creamy Home-Style Milk Chocolate Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9 inch baking pan; set aside.
2. Prepare brownie mix as described on box using eggs, water and oil. Fold in 1 cup of milk chocolate chips. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
3. Bake in center of oven for 25 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Place on wire rack.
4. Add peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly until combined and smooth. Note: You will get a much taller filling if you whip this with an electric mixture to incorporate lots of air.
5. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixture will be a bit crumbly.
6. Blend in cream until mixture is fluffy and reaches desired spreading consistency.
7. Spread evenly over warm brownie.
8. Melt Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Frosting for 30 seconds in the microwave. Stir and put back in for another 10 – 15 second. Pour over peanut butter spread on the brownies. Use a knife to spread the chocolate evenly.
9. Put in refrigerator for an hour to set.
10. Take out and let the brownie sit in room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.