How’s that for click bait? Not bad, huh? I will actually deliver on that title, by the way, but first I want to just say that I’m so tired of ads and post titles like the above. And I’m even more tired of myself clicking on them. Sometimes I just can’t resist. So here I… Continue reading How Removing Backpack Straps Saved Me Hundreds of Dollars (You Can Do It Too!)
Several years ago, my mom took on an enormous Christmas gift project. She compiled a set of spiral-bound books containing all the music we used to perform as a family… for each of her SEVEN children. We each now have books for violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello and piano, with pieces ranging from bridal marches to religious stuff… Continue reading Ode to My Mom
I’m recycling a few recipes that I didn’t end up using last week, and I’m trying to mostly use what’s already in my fridge. Thanksgiving is coming, and two of my kids’ birthdays after that, so whatever I can not spend now will help in a couple weeks. Friday – pizza on fake bread; maybe… Continue reading Another Low-Carb Meal Plan
We didn’t do a whole lot for the letter U, but we did read one of my favorite fall books, The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz. The ugly pumpkin is so sad because nobody will pick him from the pumpkin patch. Everyone favors the perfectly round pumpkins, and not even hitch-hiking or begging will work.… Continue reading The Ugly Pumpkin and More Apples
We made the letter T out of toilet paper rolls (or tubes). Real creative, I know. We’re also getting ready for a big Trip around here, so my activities aren’t all going to be spectacular for a while. We did go with cousins to the train museum though. Bam! The kids were completely unimpressed with the Golden… Continue reading T is for Trains and Trees
S is for snakes! We just made S-shaped paper snakes, and then played the game Hiss! It’s a cute, simple game, but until the kids are old enough to accept defeat, you’d better alter the rules and make it cooperative. Please notice the mess in the background of these pictures. This is real life, people! Since… Continue reading The Letter S – Snakes, Squirrels and Seasons
I hurt my back over the weekend and I’m in pretty bad shape. It’s really painful to do much of anything, so while I had big plans for cleaning/organizing the entire house this week, I’m doing more low-key things instead. What better time to catch up a little on the blog? I’ll start with our… Continue reading R is for Rest and Recap
I’ve been on a slightly more extreme version of the Atkins diet for the last two weeks. I’ve had really good results and I want to keep going, but I can’t just keep throwing mac & cheese and can-of-something dinners at my kids every night while I munch on string cheese and pepperoni in the kitchen.… Continue reading My (Super-Low-Carb) Meal Plan for The Next Week
Q-tips + straws = hours of fun. Ok, maybe not hours, but this made for a great little activity to keep these two out of trouble during the pre-dinner lull on Saturday. I’ve gotten out of the habit of giving my little kids stuff to do, and then I wonder why they’re always fighting and getting… Continue reading One more easy Q activity
The big(ger) kids are back in school and I have time with just my littles again! It is so much fun to focus on preschool-type stuff for part of the day. We picked our letter of the week back up where we left off with the letter Q. Tuesday was the first day of school, so after… Continue reading Q is for Quack, Queen & NyQuil
A Color of Her Own 