Giving My Kids Motivation to do Chores!

Chores aren't fun. I do them often because I'm OCD and can't stand to have clutter or a mess anywhere. But now I'm seeing that there is just too much for me to handle on my own. So I've taken some time to devise a system that will motivate my kids to help out around the house just a little more. 

A family friend that I call my Nana S. sent this picture to me.

It gives me a little more direction in how to structure who can do what around the house. 

Growing up, my family had a "Chore Store". We had fake money that we got for doing chores. Each chore came with a dollar amount. Then my Mom had a picnic basket with little things she'd find at garage sales, thrift stores, dollar stores, and flea markets. We could "buy" the things from that basket at the end of the week with the "money" we had accumulated from doing chores. It was a fun way to celebrate the end of a week well done! 
I've taken to that path, but added my own upgrades to it. I printed out this Excel worksheet I created. Then laminated it to make it reusable. I took a Lego bucket to use as the storage for all the things my kids can "buy" at the end of the week.

I'm lacking in things for my little girl, but hoping to get things soon. 

They now feel more motivated to read to the baby or to wipe down the table. Now, there are times when I find they don't want to be helpful. Regardless of the rewards. So I got a little crafty. I now ask, "Who wants to be my volunteer?" They don't know the task, they don't know the reward. Its up to them to volunteer and do the task. Once they volunteer, they have to do the chore. And then they get their initial in the correct slot so they get "paid". And it gets done right away. 
I think its important that kids do chores. After all, Moms can't do everything alone. Then we have less time and energy to spend on them. It also teaches them responsibility. It teaches them how to care for themselves. They won't be living under my roof forever. Eventually, they will move out and need to know how to do things for themselves. 

I have the sort of things they need to work on anyhow. Such as: making their own beds, reading books aloud, wiping down the table, cleaning their own bathroom. Life skills they will need later, but will help me with now. 
Do you have a chore list? Do your kids help out? What rewards do they get for doing so?

Desperate times calls for creative recipes!

Flashbacks of living in a hotel with 3 kids for 4 months, while eating ramen and peanut better sandwiches every day have begun to hit me. Its been about 4 weeks since I lost my job. I only just received my final check from my last employer. Received one weeks payment from Unemployment. And Food Stamps won't reload with money until the 11th of this month. So I've had to get very creative with what we get from WIC and a few dollars well spent. From these hard times, I've created quite the magnificent dinner. My fiancé has dubbed it, Emily's Frankenstein. My kids ate it up. I'll share it with you, and I want to know what your family thinks about it. Enjoy!

Emily's Frankenstein

Double batch of 6 serving boxed mashed potatoes or the equivalent of what your family would eat
Pepperoni (however many your family would deem enough)
Canned corn (just half was enough)
onion, bell pepper, green onion to your taste
Half a package of cream cheese
Salt, pepper, garlic (or whatever seasonings your family likes)
2 cups of shredded cheese

Make your pot of mashed potatoes. Sauté the pepperoni (and/or sausage works), onion, bell pepper, garlic. Mix that, the cream cheese, and canned corn (I only used half a can as some of my kids don't like too much of it) with the mashed potatoes. Add your seasonings. Spread into your greased baking dish, sprinkle the top with cheese, and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. You really just want the cheese melted and everything warmed up.

Serve with green beans on the side if you like. Especially if you have several cans in .the pantry... Its simple, its quick, its fairly cheap. And our whole family loved it!

I would love to hear from you all. What crazy mash up have you used when money or ingredients were limited? How well did it go with the family?

Hickies can be a parents best friend...

Not that kind of hickie! Get your mind out of the gutter...
As part of the US Family Guide, I'm reviewing Hickies - No Tie Elastic Shoelaces. I have an 8 and a 6 year old that both have no interest in learning to tie their own shoes. We have attempted many times to go over the easiest ways to do so, without success. So I was quite thrilled to be offered the chance to try out Hickies.

These are no-tie elastic shoelaces. You simply thread them through the holes and fasten. They turn your sneakers or tennis shoes into easy, streamlined, slide on shoes! My kids prefer to slide their shoes on anyhow, even if they are the kind that get tied. This way, I'm not slowed down having to tie them each time we have to go somewhere. They have a great tutorial to walk you through the process in getting started with using them.
I like how sturdy they are. My kids wear out their shoelaces painfully quick. Shoelaces come unraveled and don't want to re-thread as they should.

They also loosen over time when your kids keeping sliding their shoes on or off. These things hold their elasticity.

Some good points in their favor:

• They work with any shoe that has eyelets.
• One size fits all.
• Elastic keeps shoes secure and comfortable.
• Play will be uninterrupted by pesky retying.
• Fun look without knots and bows.
• 3 levels of adjustable tightness.
• Quick and easy to slide on or off and be on your way.
  
  They have a current promotion running through US Family Guide. You can get 20% off just in time for stocking stuffers! Use the code, USFG at checkout to save. This code expires on November 30th, however, so you better check them out soon. Use the link below to get started.

hickies.com
Also on their website, if you buy 2+ packs, shipping is only 99 cents. And if you buy 4, you get another for free. Stack up the savings and give them to kids you know as stocking stuffers. Save the parents some grief this coming year.

Label Daddy review

Summer is around the corner. Camps, Spring Break, and plenty of gear to label and organize. Plus, if you're like me, you might have a little one starting school this year!  

Label Daddy is ready to help you label all those things they have to carry around. When you are on a budget, making sure you know what is yours and making sure others know, is important. Label Daddy offers so many choices. They are washable and highly durable. My boys have been using them for quite some time without issues.
I ordered some for the little lady in our house. Her first year of school starts in August.

Since Minnie Mouse is her theme, I got her a cute set that she even helped picked out. They are great for all those supplies that your child has to take to school. So check them out now. They offer many promotions throughout the year. US Family Guide was offering a discount as well if you use the code USFAMILY20. 

First day of school has arrived!

Time to cry tears of joy! Freedom from the munchkins for 8 hours!!! Okay not really. Tears of bittersweet. I'm proud of my boys getting an education. I'm sad that I have been unable to provide it all myself. But this will work for the better for our family. 

I stayed up after they went to bed to make sure all the school uniforms were clean and paired together. 

Yes, I even had fresh underwear set out. I made their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with plenty of snack-like foods to keep them full today. I froze their fruit flavored waters so that they would slowly defrost and provide something cold to drink. 

To save time, I also laid out their socks in their shoes. Moms and dads know how hard multiple shoes and socks can be to keep together. This is why larger families don't fly. 

My oldest wanted to be a butt about getting his picture taken, but at the last minute made this face. My younger son was super excited. That is until we got to the school. 

His dad had to push him along to class. It's going to be quite interesting when we finally pick them up later today. I have a feeling it will look something like this when we get home... 

Making this weekend special

I not only got out of work early on Friday, but had the whole weekend off. There were a few family events (free of course) that I couldn't pass up. 

The Lego Store at the North Star mall, for instance, had a pre-Black Friday VIP event. It was one VIP card holder and a guest going in 9-10 AM (before opening) to get free bags of goodies and special extras. While my husband was there with the middle son, I took the oldest and little lady to stand and wait by the Disney store. We had run into a friend who let me in on the knowledge that the first child at the door would get to "open" the store.

They also got a free key ornament.

My oldest son didn't want to do it so I took my lady out of the stroller.

She was so excited. I found it amusing that all 3 of us were dressed in Disney style. I had worn a Maleficent ensemble.

Afterwards, we took the kids to the Target Frozen event. Each of the kids got a goodie bag regardless of what they were wearing.

My little "Elsa" was posing and smiling. 

The Cartwheel toy of the day is the Lettlest Pet Shop Style set. 

We also stopped by our friends at San Antonio Plastic Bricks. They have recently moved to a larger retail store front. Definitely going to be amazing once it's completely set up. 

Hope you all have an amazing weekend! Remember those deep breaths as you try to get through the Thanksgiving week next week!!! 

Have you seen Planes: Fire and Rescue yet??

If your child loves the Planes movies, this will tickle them so much! You can help them write a letter to members of the Planes team and they will send an Airmail back! Just go to the link below and go through the prompts. Its so much fun!
http://www.planesairmail.com/

Italian sausage and bean soup recipe

I made this the other night and was so happy to find my picky kids enjoying it. 

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use

1 pound Italian sausages, casings removed 

1 1/2 cups each chopped onion and diced carrots

1 cup chopped celery (optional)

1/4 cup each red and green bell pepper 

1/4 cup green onion

1 tablespoon garlic, minced in oil (I used powdered)

1 tablespoon of Italian-blend seasoning

5-6 cups of chicken broth 

1 can Italian styled diced tomatoes

1 can red kidney beans, drained

1 cup of pasta

Place 1 tablespoon of oil in a 6 quart heavy pot over medium-high heat; add sausage and cook, breaking up into small pieces. Remove to a plate and set aside. 

Add remaining oil to the same pot. Sauté onions, carrots, bell peppers, green onion, celery, garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook 7-9 minutes or until tender; then return sausage to pot. 

Stir in broth, tomatoes and beans. Bring soup to a boil. 

If you are serving the soup soon, go ahead and add the pasta and cook until it's done. 

Enjoy!!!

New lunch idea

It's hard when you have three young and picky eaters. I don't want to make hot dogs, chicken nuggets and French fries daily. I can't afford to go out somewhere daily either. I can barely manage that more than twice a month. So today, as I'm standing in front of my refrigerator, I was trying to think of something different for their lunch. 

I had some crescent rolls, pepperoni, and cheese slices.

They'd been bugging for pizza for the past couple days and I decided to make some... Sorta. I didn't think about adding sauce this time around. 

Basically, unroll the crescents. Top with the pepperoni. 

I didn't have shredded cheese so I ripped slices in half. 

I also made some peanut butter and jelly ones, but my oldest was the only one willing to even try one. Just not good enough to substitute for a PB & J sandwich. 

For the peanut butter kind, I didn't roll them. I folded them. 

Once the toppings are ready, roll them up. I added cheese on top too, but they would be good without that. 

Pop them in the oven for about 8 minutes or so. Sadly, my kids didn't really want them. I ate a couple and really enjoyed them. Next time though, I plan to add some sauce. It's simple, quick and a better alternative. 

If you have any lunch ideas for picky eaters, leave me a comment! 

We made it!

We are finally home! We made it safely to Texas and now can relax as we make this unit our home. At first we stayed with my in laws and then we got a hotel room for a few nights. Want to test your patience? Put a family of five in one room daily. Especially when 3 of them are five years and under.
Getting the keys was so much more exciting than most would think. It's a sign of starting fresh. Of feeling free. And so much joy that you could burst as you watch the children go wild.

This place isn't the Ritz by far. But it's not the ghetto either. Our garage was packed full of our things and I spent all day putting as much as I could away. After I get off work tomorrow, I'll get right back to unpacking.

There is a 10x10 back yard that the kids and I plan to grow flowers in the corner of. I've always wanted a yard and after 6 years of not having one... I can't wait to work in it. We spent about an hour or so clearing it up and even planted gladiolas and sun flowers. My boys love watching Curios George and after getting the Going Green DVD, they have been begging me to plant a garden that they can watch grow.

 The floors throughout the downstairs are stained concrete. I won't have to worry about spilled juice except for the possibilities of slips. It's cold, this is true. And I have a lot of sweeping to do. But I'll get a rug for the combined dining/living area eventually. We also ordered a couch and table set for the living room that should be here by the weekend.

 Yesterday, we finally got the things we left in storage which included the beds. So thankful for the help from my in laws as well as friends. While moving, we made jokes and caught up. It really helps the work go by smoother when you are having fun. My husband decided to let the dolly ride in the truck with him and his friend since all the other spaces were filled... I told him that every corner they turned would earn him a kiss from the tires.

Before getting those things, we only had two air beds that both leak air so I've been sleeping on the floor. Waking up with migraines wasn't working out too well.
We ordered a washer/dryer set that should arrive this week as well. I'm going to have a mountain of laundry to do... But I'm happy to say I'll finally have a set and they'll be in my own garage, another first for us.

This place has two floors so my kids will wear themselves out with all the up and downs they do daily. And we finally get to cook really good meals again! Tonight was Italian chicken, rice and sautéed veggies. Mmm... how I've missed my kitchen!

Oh and I love how this neighborhood has a sense of humor! The stop signs (a least two of them) have additions that make you laugh and possibly sing. This is one:

Another says "Don't STOP Believin'". I love it!

This kitchen is about the size I had before, but somehow seems to have more space. Or maybe I'm getting better with my organization skills.

Thanks for reading and sharing in my life's adventures! I'll post again soon with updated pictures that show how we are turning this place in a Home.

Kidecals via US Family Guide review

As parents, we buy things that we want to make sure won't get lost or stolen. Or should they get lost, we want to make sure it's easier to recover them. Kidecals helps us do just that.

 I put one on my laptop since that's something I wouldn't want to lose or get mixed up with my other nerd friends'.

My husband put labels on his fishing gear. We chose the camo pattern as well as to put Vinyard Family on them. This way we all can use them. You can customize them any way you'd need. Put your child's name and your phone number on them so if something is found, they can call you to report it.

They are machine washable, dishwasher safe, and can be put on anything you need to label as your own. I recently ordered a batch as a reviewer promotion. They are excellent! Whether you are preparing for summer camps, recruit trainings (boot camp), or just have an active life that requires you to bring things along they offer a sense of security in knowing your stuff is identifiable and unique-inized (yep, making up words again).

Another great thing about these - they go on clothing or objects. I think in a state like mine where storms are prevalent during certain seasons, it helps to be able to identify your things when you have to be crammed in a safe zone with others.

They are great for so many things like school supplies, vacations, outdoor gear... the list ends with your imagination (or needs).  I also love how no matter what the order, shipping is free! Always a bonus. And they ship out pretty quickly. Check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or just sign up for their newsletter. You can browse the selections to get an idea of what they have. And remember to leave me a comment about what you think! I love to hear from you all. Thanks for reading 8-)

Show and Tell sonogram review

So as I've mentioned in a previous post, I'm pregnant with baby #3. I had the normal 2D ultrasound done with my doctor at the beginning of my pregnancy, but with those… Well, let’s be honest. Can you tell what you are looking at? I sure can’t. Everything looks weird and blurry and I mostly just tune out the doctor talking to herself and listen to the heartbeat. Since I’m planning to make this my last baby, I really wanted to see it. Not some black and white blob picture that doesn’t make sense to me. I went online and started searching for places around San Antonio that offered 4D sonograms. May I just say… wow! They are really expensive. Most places charge $200-$900 depending on the package you choose. I finally found one that offered a simple package including 2 2D pictures, 2 4D pictures, and everything on a CD - all for $110.00. Show and Tell, located on 16607 Blanco Road, Suite 801 San Antonio, Texas 78232 not only had the best prices, their staff is extremely friendly and patient. I brought my 2 young sons along and even though they ran around the room and kept talking, the sonogram tech just laughed. I had drank water all week exclusively until I felt like a bloated cow in an attempt to make the picture as clear as possible. I was really, really hoping that this one was going to be a baby girl. And sure enough, as soon as we got started her legs were open and that’s the first thing we saw. After that, the tech did everything she could to ensure we got the best pictures we could of the baby. She had me roll over, walk around, use the bathroom… and in the end I got some amazing shots of my beautiful daughter. That package that I chose was called the Peek a Boo Special. In the end. I paid only $100 because I booked right before the price changes went into effect. And instead of just 4 pictures - I got 4 color 4D pictures and I think 6 black and white 2D pictures. Truly a value.

So, if you live in San Antonio, happen to be pregnant and want a 2, 3 or 4D sonogram for reasonable prices I strongly suggest Show and Tell. If you don't get a clear picture they do everything they can to try to make it better and even have options for going back and trying later at a free or discounted rate. I also liked that they had the option of being able to Skype the session with a family member who is too far away to be there. And you can bring the whole family (up to 11 people I think).

http://www.showandtellultrasoundsa.com/