Sock Mop

As I folded the laundry, I noticed yet another of DH's socks with a hole. I added it to the pile of holey socks, now nearly as big as the pile of those intact. I realized I was either going to have to find a good sale on socks or learn to... darn? I don't even know the sewing technique for mending socks! So the socks went into the "repair" basket. Fortunately, I found a sale and stocked up, leaving me with a basket of socks to trash.

That evening, however, I was mopping with a back ache. Mopping is my least favorite chore in the whole house. Thinking that there HAD to be a better way, I vaguely recalled someone mentioning that they mopped by sliding across the floor in their socks. I have socks! But I wanted something strong for those sticky spots (remember, we've got two dogs, two kids, and two parents in our house). Then... brilliance. I put my tennis shoes on, then I put DH's holey socks on over my shoes. Yes, my feet looked quite amusing. They kind of reminded me of that last month of pregnancy. The boys kept coming over and looking at my feet, afraid to touch them. Then I got out the floor cleaner, sprayed a small section, and carefully "skated" over it in my sock mops. It was great, and the floor looked better than it did after my usual mopping. It's easier on the back, and a good workout for your legs! What more could you ask?

Do you have any tips or tricks for making a household chore easier? Please share it! If not, what is your least favorite chore? Maybe someone else has an idea to make it less unpleasant. I'm always looking for good ideas, and I'm sure others would appreciate it, too.

Meal Planning (4/27)

I had noticed several other bloggers of note doing "Menu Plan Monday," but I never really looked very closely. But as I perused Womanly Excellence earlier this week, I looked a bit closer at the "picture" above her menu and realized it wasn't a simple picture, but a button. And more importantly, at the bottom of the button, it said "orgjunkie.com." Of course, organization freak that I am, I immediately clicked and found a wonderful site. Those of you who know me well are aware that I relax by going to WalMart or Target and walking down the aisles that sell organizational products. There is always some sort of bin or cart or organizer on my Christmas and birthday lists. And if you read the "About" page on orgjunkie.com, you will see that I have found my home! Oh, to find someone who understands!!

Okay, back to the point. She does a weekly post where everyone links their menus for the week. In and of itself, this is an amazing resource! But then, she's also got links to resources for meal planning! You've got to go check out this site.

Now, my turn. (Note - DH is out of town for the week. Since it's just me and the toddlers, we're not getting fancy. It's kids' week!)

Monday: Beef-Vegetable stew (Thank you, Ginni!), dinner rolls

Tuesday: BBQ Sloppy Joes, broccoli & cheese

Wednesday: Chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, peas

Thursday: Turkey & Lentil quesadillas, avocado, rice

Friday: Pancakes, eggs, & bacon

Saturday: Crock pot chicken & mixed veggies, dinner rolls

Sunday: Smoked pork, corn, spinach salad, dinner rolls

My Top 5 Posts (so far)

I had always thought blogging was pretty useless, but in February of this year, I realized that it most certainly had its benefits for both blogger and reader. In the two months since, I've used my blog to organize my thoughts, reevaluate my actions, and discover God's will in my life. For my 50th post, I decided to look through and pick my Top 5 Posts, the ones that represent a significant revelation or a substantial change of heart. Here they are (with excerpts) in chronological order. Please leave a comment sharing which was your favorite! Thanks.

I Thought I WAS Cooking!

"On the few occasions where I had to cook, we had Stouffer's lasagna, Tyson chicken-kiev, Velveeta Mac-n-cheese, Banquet Crock-Pot Classics, and Digorno Pizza. Yes, I burned the food occasionally, even after we got the timer, and I sometimes forgot to turn the oven off until bedtime, but I was cooking."

A Cozy Conversation

"The thought of spending more than 20 minutes in serious conversation with me sends DH running for the remote control. It's not that he doesn't want to talk; he does. What he doesn't want is little to me carry on for 30 minutes about why I would like to buy a new shower curtain... and THEN ask him what he thinks and ask HIS reasoning behind it. Like most men, DH does not really care about that stuff. He sees the big picture and that's that. ('Will we still have a shower curtain? Okay then.')"

A Prayer Cheat Sheet

"I've recently realized I can make a 'prayer cheat sheet' to help me stay focused while praying and ensure that my prayers aren't stagnant. In my research, I found a few helpful resources that may benefit someone else out there."

Fire Drills

"In the process of taking out a colander, DH knocks over the precarious tower of tupperware. Lids and bowls (thousands of them?) clatter onto the floor, and before we are able to gather them, the children and the dogs (lured by the noise) run through, scattering them hither and yon. Looks like we're washing more dishes."

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

"Baby stuff, toddler stuff... that's stuff I know! Preschool, though, that's a scary new world. The toys are more dangerous (those golf clubs are great for hitting your brother). The games are messier (paper butterflies all over the living room). The activities require more supervision (unless you like finding finger paint on the blinds). The interactions require more teaching on my part. Can I handle that? Can I be trusted to accomplish all that?"

Sunday Sales (4/26)

What I'm doing is listing the deals I am considering snagging for myself. This is essentially my own personal shopping list. Check out the links on my blog for some great sites that list even more deals. *Note - My grocery store ads run from Wednesday-Tuesday, so I will post my grocery lists on Wednesday.


CVS
For the newbie, Thrifty Mama is finishing up her series called "CVS - From the Ground Up" that has been extremely helpful in teaching how to make money and build up your ECBs.

Natural Dentist Healthy Gums Rinse (earn $8.02) It's on sale for $6.99 - Earn 4 ECB (limit 3). Buy 2 and use two $2/1 printable coupons to bring your total to $9.98. Receive 8 ECBs for buying two. Then send in the Mail In Rebate Form with your receipt(s) to receive $10 more.

Rimmel Mascara (get 2 FREE) It's on sale Buy One Get One free. Use the BOGO coupon from the April issue of All You Magazine to get 2 for free!

Essence of Beauty Flawless Pedicure ($7.99) It's on sale for $9.99 - Earn 2 ECB (limit 1).



Walgreens
Breeze 2 or Contour Glucose Monitor (earn $5) Its on sale for $14.99 - earn $5 RR. There have been coupons in various inserts to make these free up to $30. Use the coupon and pay nothing but tax, then get your $5 RR. Then, if no one you know needs the monitor, donate it!

Nivea Body Wash, 16.9 oz (earn $1) It's on sale for $4.99 - earn $4.99 RR. Use the $1/1 coupon from the 4/19 insert.

Ecotrin, 45 ct. (earn $1) It's on sale for $2 - earn $2 RR. Use the $1/1 coupon from the 1/25 insert.

Bayer Quick Release Crystals, 4 ct. (FREE) They're on sale for $2.49 - earn $2.49 RR.

Flipz Snacks, 4 oz (2/$2) They're on sale 2/$3. Use the $1/2 coupon from the 4/5 insert.

12 pack Pepsi Products (3/$8) They're on sale 3/$11 - earn $3 RR.

Quilted Northern Bath Tissue, 12 pk ($5.99) Use the in-ad coupon to make it $5.99.

Brawny Paper Towels, 8 pk ($6.49) Use the in-ad coupon to make it $6.49.



Cheap Chocolate Alert!
This is the best I could do this week. It's kind of slim pickings right now.

WAGS - Weight Watchers Chocolates, 3.25 oz (2/$1.50) They're on sale 2/$3. Use the BOGO coupon from the 4/5 insert.

Seeing Beyond the Stars

One of my favorite songs is "More" by Matthew West. Whenever I feel insignificant, alone, or like nothing is going my way, this song puts it all into perspective.

"I love you more than the sun
And the stars that I taught how to shine.
You are mine, and you shine for me, too.
I love you yesterday and today and tomorrow.
I'll say it again and again. I love you more!"

It always brings to mind my favorite Psalm and a related choral anthem, one of my favorites, The Majesty and Glory of Your Name by Tom Fettke.

"O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!" - Psalm 8

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

It's the end of an era. A leap into the unknown. Today, we dismantled the crib. Sniff. Our baby isn't a baby anymore. The crib was that final hold-out from admitting that we have two toddlers, now. Of course, Big Brother will be 4 in October, so he's essentially a preschooler!

I look at Little Brother's PJs and discover that they're too short. What do I do? Pull out the hand-me-down clothes in the next size, of course, and pack up the outgrown clothes for my nephew. It would be unreasonable to try to keep him in clothes that are too small!

As I look around our house at the games and toys we have for our boys, I realize that I have kept them in toys that are too "small." We've still got the Classical Stacker, the Rock N Bounce Pony, the counting pal, teething rings, rattle/key chains, and even an activity walker! The "Goodnight Moon" game, Elefun, a bowling set, Gator Golf, and coloring books galore are stored neatly away on a high shelf. Why? Why have I not provided toys that stimulate their creativity and mental development? Not for safety concerns nor a lack of opportunity. Nope, it's all me.

I can't admit that they're ready for new things. I'm not ready for them to be ready for new things! Baby stuff, toddler stuff... that's stuff I know! Preschool, though, that's a scary new world. The toys are more dangerous (those golf clubs are great for hitting your brother). The games are messier (paper butterflies all over the living room). The activities require more supervision (unless you like finding finger paint on the blinds). The interactions require more teaching on my part. Can I handle that? Can I be trusted to accomplish all that?

The answer is neither "yes" or "no." It is, "You Must." When I consider my actions in light of my priorities, I know that in order to serve my children to the best of my ability, I must not only allow, but encourage their growth! But still that fear remains. Can I raise my boys into men of God? And then I remember that it's not about me, but Him, and He can accomplish anything in spite of me. Give thanks for his goodness and mercy! Now, where is that stepladder?

“Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
- Exodus 4:11-12

A Mess After Midnight

There was a messy accident at our house at 1:00 am. (We have two dogs, two children, and two parents. I'm not going into details, but I'm sure you can use your imagination!) DH is not the most pleasant person when woken up in the middle of the night; his temper is short and his people skills are flat. (Though, in all fairness, I don't know anyone who is an angel at 2:00 am!) As he cleaned, I handed him things I thought he would need and things for which he asked. Towels, wrench, tea tree oil, flashlight, vinegar, dust buster, broom, trash can... the list goes on. I spoke hardly a word, since I couldn't think of anything nice to say. But my internal monologue was going strong.

• "Why didn't he...?"
• "Why should I...?"
• "If he would just..."
• "Who was responsible for...?"
• "At least one of us is staying calm and quiet!"
  
• "I just cleaned this yesterday, and now it's even worse than it was."
• "Doesn't he realize...?"
  
• "Forget it!"

Having worked for an entire hour, we looked around at three more messes that had been made in the process of cleaning up the first (shattered glass on the floor, potted plants upturned, and a pile of broken toys.) We decide to call it a night, but neither of us could sleep. DH went out for a drive, and I sat down with a book, Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes. As I read, I was convicted about my attitude. Yes, I was acting with humility and servitude, and an outwardly respectful helpmate. But internally I was not respectful. I was not humble. I was not patient.

Upon returning from his drive, DH thanked me for being so strong when he was so frustrated at the situation. "Strong!" I had helped because I was quiet. And I was reminded why the Bible tells us to be respectful, humble, submissive, and quiet. If I had spoken a single thought of mine, it would have only made the situation worse. Now, I whole-heartedly pray that my mind and heart would be changed so that my internal monologue is that of a humble servant.

Meal Planning (4/20)

I had my meals all planned last week, but then both boys were sick (fevers running from 101-102) from Sunday to Wednesday or so, then DH and I spent the last half of the week fighting off the cold, and... well... the meals just didn't happen. We ate out and ate a lot of cheese sandwiches. Blah! I'm just pretty much using last-week's menu with a few changes here and there.

Monday
Supper: Layered Meatball Casserole, steamed carrots, spinach salad

Tuesday
Supper: Cooked turkey breast from freezer, vegetable quiche, dinner rolls

Wednesday
Supper: Chicken nuggets, steamed mixed veggies

Thursday
Supper: Baked Chicken Breast, brown rice, broccoli w/ cheese sauce

Friday
Supper: Crockpot Beef Tips, Corn Pudding, and mashed potatoes

Saturday
Supper: Smoked Pork (cooked by DH)

Sunday
Supper: Mac-n-Cheese, Hot Dogs, Peas

No More Monkeys Jumping Out of Bed!

It was inevitable, but I had hoped to avoid the situation for at least 6 more months. Little Brother (also known as "Monkey Boy" and "Mr. Hands") climbed out of his crib. I know many children are already in a toddler bed or twin bed by 23 months, but I kept praying he would be like his Big Brother and love his crib so much he would have to be forced to switch at 30 months or so! I feel somewhat prepared... yes, somewhat. The crib converts to a toddler bed, but I'm not sure where the hardware for the conversion is (the attic, his closet?) We've got a twin bed on the floor already (great for mom or dad when he's sick) but would he sleep any better on it? I've researched options like a crib tent or turning the crib around so that the short side is closest to the wall and the high side is facing out into the room. Though I would barely be able to reach in there to put him in or take him out unless he were standing. Then comes the other decisions. Do we remove his toys so they don't tempt him to leave his bed or do we leave them so that he can (hopefully) play with them when he wakes in the morning and give mommy and daddy a chance for a little extra sleep? Should we invest in a video monitor so we can keep an eye on him if/when he's up and about? Since my Monkey Boy can climb any baby gate faster than you can blink, we will need a way to lock the door so he doesn't get out and fall down the stairs or try to run a bath! We've got a knob cover for now, but Mr. Hands will soon figure out how to remove it. What then?

I know all parents go through this, and it all works out in the end, but I've been dreading this for over a year now. Easy-going Big Brother did not prepare me for this. But now I will stop my chatter, breathe, and remind myself that God has prepared me, and it really WILL all work out in the end.

Sunday Sales (4/19)

It's good to be back in the game! I love being able to get these deals to help my family and those around me. Check out the links on my blog for some great sites that list even more deals. What I'm doing is listing the deals I am considering snagging for myself. *Note - My grocery store ads run from Wednesday-Tuesday, so I will post my grocery lists on Wednesday.


CVS (You've got to have a CVS card to get the deals)
For the newbie, Thrifty Mama is doing a series called "CVS - From the Ground Up" that promises to be extremely helpful for making money and building up your ECBs.

Natural Dentist Healthy Gums Rinse (earn $8.02) It's on sale for $6.99 - Earn 4 ECB (limit 5). Buy 2 and use two $2/1 printable coupons to bring your total to $9.98. Receive 8 ECBs for buying two, so that's like paying $0.99 each. If that's no cheap enough for you, print a Mail In Rebate Form and send it in with your receipt(s) to receive $10 more. (Print the Rebate form before they pull it from the internet!)

Edge Infused Comfort or Hydrate Shaving Gel (FREE) They're on sale for $2.89 - earn $2.89 ECB (limit 1).

Bayer Aspirin Quick Release Crystals, 4ct (FREE) They're on sale for $2 - earn $2 ECB (limit 1).

Benefiber (4/$3.16) It's on sale for $5.29 - earn $10 ECB (limit 5) when you spend $20. Buy 4, and use four $2/1 coupons from the 2/29 or 4/5 insert to bring your total to $13.16. Then get back $10 ECB.

Jergen's Natural Glow (2 for $9) It's on sale for $8 each - earn $5 ECB (limit 1) when you spend $15. Buy 2, and use two $1/1 coupons from the 3/15 or 4/5 insert to bring your total to $14. Then get back $5 ECB.

CFL Lightbulbs, bonus 4 pack ($6.99)

Pedicure Tool ($7.99) It's sandal season, and I've been looking at the PedEgg, but CVS has two options that may work just as well for less The Essence of Beauty Flawless Pedicure Complete System is shown as on sale for $7.99 on CVS.com, and the CVS Pharmacy Ped Pro is shown as $7.99 in this week's sale paper. I'm planning on taking a look at both.

Walgreens
Skintimate Shaving Cream (FREE) They're on sale for $2.99 - earn $2.99 RR. This doesn't work on the cans, only the new plastic bottles.

Edge Infused or Energy Shaving Gel (FREE) They're on sale for $2.99 - earn $2.99 RR.

Sunmaid Raisins, 18 oz. ($1.99) Use the in-ad coupon to make them $1.99. That's 11¢/oz, which is a pretty good price if your children are crazy about raisins!

7-up, Canada Dry, A&W, Sunkist, Dr Pepper 12 packs (3/$6) They're on sale 3/$11 - earn $5 RR.



Cheap Chocolate Alert!!
WAGS - Hershey Bagged Candy (4/$1) They're on sale 4/$10. Use 4 $1/1 coupons from the 3/1 insert and pay $6. Then submit for the Easy Saver Rebate of $5.

Sunday's Paper should be good!

If you do much (or even any) couponing, be sure to get at least one copy of this Sunday's paper. It looks like it's going to be a good one! Here are some of the ones I'm most excited about, and I REALLY hope they're in my local paper. Otherwise, I'll have to send my parents out again to get several copies of the AJC! I might have to do that anyway to get extra copies of the Red Plum now that they're mailed to us instead of put into the papers.

Smart Source (courtesy of Taylortown Preview)

Finish/Electrasol Quantum, Powerball Tabs or Gelpacs $2.50 (5/17/09)

Lots of Huggies coupons, including a Pull-ups coupon for $3! (5/16/09)
Starbucks Chocolate $1 (8/31/09)

Steamfresh Vegetable or Rice Varieties $1 on 2 (5/30/09)

V8 V-Fusion Juice, 46 oz+ $1 (6/30/09)

Yoplait Go-Gurt, Fizzix, Kids Cup, Kids Yogurt Drink, Yoplait Trix Multipack .35 (6/13/09)

Red Plum (courtesy of Taylortown Preview)

Angel Soft Toilet Paper, 4-regular rolls+ .50 (6/21/09) .10 each

Hefty Waste Bags, any $1 (5/31/09)

Herbal Essences Shampoo, Conditioners, Styling or Hair color $2/2 (5/31/09) .10 each

Ocean Spray Cranberry Pomegranate or Ruby Pomegranate, 64 oz. .55 (8/31/09)

Prosacea $1 (5/31/09)

Rimmel Face, Lip or Nail Product $1 (6/30/09)
Schick Quattro Titanium Razor/Trimmer or Refill $4 (6/14/09)

Sundown Naturals Vitamins and Supplements $1 (6/2/09)


ETA: I just looked at my Red Plum that came in the mail, and I don't see coupons for the Ocean Spray OR the Prosacea, and I was really looking forward to trying that out! So mom, dad, will you please pick me up 4 AJCs this Sunday? Thank you.

Grocery Deals (4/15--4/21)

I thought I was caught up from the post-travel craziness, and then both kids get sick! So when I logged on to get my shopping list, I realized I hadn't even made it yet. So, two days late, here are the deals I plan to get this evening or Saturday.

Kroger
10/$10 Sale! You don't have to get 10 to get the price. It's all ONE DOLLAR! I will be getting:

• Green Giant frozen boxed Vegetables, 50¢-67¢ after coupons (lots of insert and printable coupons available)
• Birds eye Vegetables, 30¢ each after the 35¢/1 (doubled) from the 3/29 insert. It looks like there will be $1/2 coupons in this Sunday's paper to make them 50¢ each.
  
• Michelina's Entrees, 80¢ each after the $1/5 coupons (printed from the Michelina's website)
• Suave Deodorant, FREE after the 50¢/1 (doubled) from the 3/29 insert.
• Banquet Dinners, 80¢ each after the $2/10 from the 3/22 insert.
  
• Quaker Quakes, FREE after the $1/1 from the 3/29 insert.
• Martha White Muffin Mix, 73¢ each after the 55¢/2 blinkie coupon from earlier this year.
• McCormick Grill Mates, FREE, 25¢, or 50¢ each after coupons from the 1/18 or 3/15 insert.
• Pillsbury Brownie Mix, 30¢ after the 35¢/1 (doubled) from the 3/29 insert.
• Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread or Wonder Whole Grain Bread
• Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers
• Kroger Cooking Spray
  

Other good deals that are NOT part of the 10/$10 Sale:

• Fresh California Strawberries, $1.50/lb
• California Navel Oranges, 3/$1
• Texas Sweet Onions, 49¢/lb
  
• Gala Apples, 99¢/lb
  
• Fresh Express Garden Salad, $1.69 ($1/1 Kroger coupon)
  
• Kellogg's Cereal, 17-25.5 oz, $2.18 ($1/1 from 4/5 insert or printable $1/2 for Frosted Flakes if FF are 21+ oz)
• Pepsi/Mt. Dew 12 pks, 4/$12 plus free bag of Frito-Lay chips. (May work to use $1.25/2 Kroger coupon for Sunchips.)
  
• CapriSun Sunrise, $1.79 (55¢/1 from 3/8 newspaper flyer)Kroger milk, all varieties, half gallon, $1.39
  
• Sanderson Farms Family Pack Split Chicken Breasts, 97¢/lb
• Kroger Value Frozen Veggies, 88¢/lb
• Kroger Deluxe Ice Cream, 48-56 oz, $1.99

Schnucks
There's not enough there to make it worth the drive OR my time this week. I hope to see a better selection next week.


Now I can print this off and get going. Well, after the boys wake up and DH gets home! How about you? Have you planned this week's shopping trip yet? There's no time like the present!

Meal Planning (4/13-4/19)

With DH working day shift right now, our lunches are generally the same week to week: meat, bread, cheese, and fruit. I've decided that it may serve me better to plan supper and sides for each day instead of just lunch and supper's main courses. I'll try it out this week and see how it works for me!

Monday
Supper: Layered Meatball Casserole, steamed carrots, spinach salad

Tuesday
Supper: Cooked turkey breast from freezer, vegetable quiche, dinner rolls

Wednesday
Supper: Chicken nuggets, steamed mixed veggies

Thursday
Supper: Boston Butt Roast (cooked by DH)

Friday
Supper: Pizza, salad

Saturday
Supper: Breakfast for supper (cooked by DH)

Sunday
Supper: Beef Stew, mashed potatoes, green beans, dinner rolls

Sunday Sales (4/12)

Okay, I completely missed all the deals last week, grocery and otherwise, so I'm glad to be able to get out and save this week! Check out the links on my blog for some great sites that list even more deals. What I'm doing is listing the deals I am considering snagging for myself. *Note - My grocery store ads run from Wednesday-Tuesday, so I will post my grocery lists on Wednesday.


CVS (You've got to have a CVS card to get the deals)
For the newbie, Thrifty Mama is doing a series called "CVS - From the Ground Up" that promises to be extremely helpful for making money and building up your ECBs.

Softsoap Scrub body wash, 18 oz (earn $1.00) It's on sale for $4.99 - receive $4.99 ECB (limit 1.) Use the $1/1 coupon from the 3/29 insert or the $1.50/1 from the CVS "Reinventing Beauty Magazine" for overage!

Colgate Enamel Protect, Sensitive Whitening toothpaste, 6 oz (earn $0.75 or $1.00) It's on sale for $3.99 - receive $3.99 ECB (limit 2.) Use the $0.75/1 or $1/1 coupon from the 2/22 or the 3/29 insert for overage!

Mentos Gum (earn $0.13) It's on sale for $1.29. Buy 3 and earn $1 ECB (limit 5.) Use the $1/1 coupon from the 3/1 coupon insert to earn $0.13.


Walgreens
Scunci Hair Elastics, 18 pk (FREE) They're on sale for $2 - earn $2 RR. Since I'm always losing mine, this will get me stocked back up!

Kleenex Facial Tissue, 110 sheets ($0.39) Use the in-ad coupon to make them $0.89 each. Use the $0.50/1 coupon from the 4/5 insert to make them $0.39 each.

Lysol products (as little as $0.75 each) Lysol products are BOGO. Combine that with the coupons from 3/15 and you've got a good deal. Also, there's a MIR for $3 back WYB 3 different Lysol products (different scents counts!) I rarely use Lysol products (I LOVE my Citra-Solv) but there are occasions where I think it's good to have around. So buying 4 products should have me set for the year!


Cheap Chocolate Alert!!
I don't really see any cheap chocolate in the ads, but this IS the week after Easter. I'm counting on some clearance Easter candy, so keep your eyes peeled!

Easter Eggs with Little Ones

Whew! It's good to be home. I love visiting family, but a week is a long time, and I felt like I needed a vacation once we got back. But finally the laundry pile is back to a manageable size, we have more clean dishes than dirty, and I'm back into my routine. It's good to be home.

Yet, I've suddenly realized that Easter is upon us, along with all of the activities, church services, and food. And I've hardly had time to plan for any of them! I still don't have shirts for the boys to wear under their Easter sweater vests, neither has appropriate dress shoes, and it looks like I'll end up having to wear khakis and a polo shirt to the Easter service! Thanks to CVS and Walgreens, the Easter baskets are done, but we don't have any eggs for the baskets yet. Hmmm... Looking back at my memories of Easter, I think of the egg decorating. Mix the tab with vinegar, hold the egg in the floppy wire contraption, put the egg in the dye, take it out, and put stickers on it. In all honesty, the stickers were the only exciting part. And then they sat in the fridge for weeks and no one really wanted to eat them. Why did we bother?

I picked up two free egg decorating kits from CVS last week, and Kroger has their eggs on sale for $1/dozen. I realized that if I could could make egg decorating fun enough, than that's some pretty cheap entertainment! On recipezaar, I found several different methods for decorating eggs, and I'm looking forward to trying them all when the boys get older, but this one is what we did today... with a few modifications to make it toddler-friendly.

• Mix your dyes in separate cups (store-bought, food coloring, or home-made) though you don't need as much liquid as usual.
• Put three hard-boiled eggs in a colander in the kitchen sink (the mess is contained!)
• Sprinkle the eggs with vinegar so the color soaks in better.
• Stand your child on a sturdy stepladder at the sink and hand him a paintbrush (we used one of the foam ones that soaks up paint/dye very nicely)
• Paint one color at a time, letting the dye sit for a minute or so, then rinse the brush and eggs before doing the next color to avoid mixing them.
• Rinse well and dry on a paper towel. We'll probably add stickers later today.

It makes a lovely tie-dye effect, the child gets to be more creative than with the dip method, and the paint brush makes application easy for children lacking the fine motor skills required for more complex dying techniques. We all had a blast, clean-up was a snap, and our eggs look great. Now, to find out if the boys will eat hard-boiled eggs!