Peace of Mind Comes in Small Packages With Tchipie

As a Mom, I have had those moments of cold-sweat fear when I hear choking or other not-normal sounds coming from the backseat. Those moments when you want to swerve across several lanes of travel as quickly as possible to make sure the baby in the back isn't dying. It is rough! Thankfully, there are ways to avoid this. The most obvious is to not feed the kids in the car. But that isn't always practical when you are on a long road ride. So the next best thing is... baby car mirrors to the rescue! Like the ones that come from companies like Tchipie. 

*Disclaimer: Tchipie reached out to me and sent the funds for me to order their product for the sole purpose of writing a review on it. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are strictly my own.*

Tchipie reached out to me and asked if I wanted to do a review of their baby car mirror that is sold on Amazon. You know me, I don't turn down the opportunity to try out helpful products and share my reviews with you all! I purchased this mirror from Amazon. They are sold for $8.99 (price drop since I purchased it!). If you have a Prime account, they ship from the Amazon warehouses within a couple days. They are also eligible for free shipping if you order other eligible products totaling over $25 through Amazon. 

This mirror has several great aspects to be aware of!

1. Easy to install. There are 2 sets of straps. You clip the first set, pull to tighten. Then clip the second set, pull to tighten. Adjust for the perfect angle and - voila! - you can see whatever is going on in the backseat.
2. Large size to allow you to see more! The dimensions on this mirror are 11.6" x 7.7".
3. Adorable stickers to doll the mirror up. Kids love looking in the direction of pretty and colorful things. As soon as my toddler saw the stickers, she was SO excited. These are all her favorite fruits. So naming them made her happy while giving her something to do.
4. Amazing swivel capabilities. Mirrors need to move. They also need to be easy to move. So that you can adjust them for the perfect angle. And that is what this one offered. A 360 degree rotating pivot.
5. Last, but not least, it comes with a soft cleaning cloth. Keep this in the car and always have it on hand to clean the mirror and give you a clear view of your kiddo. 

So check out my video below and let me know what you think!
What other things are important to you when choosing a car mirror?

14 Date Night Ideas for Any Budget

Before this summer, it had been a while since my husband and I had had a date night. A real one. Without kids. Without tasks and errands that take all our free time. That did not mean just playing a video game (although that isn't always a bad thing).  Something that let us unwind and actually talk to each other. For starters, we are still keeping to a strict budget. And secondly, we didn't live near someone who could take all 4 of the kids from time to time. I've been reading a book that had plenty of ideas for budget-friendly dates. And I decided that it was high time to make a list of things that would work for my husband and I. Here is to hoping that you might get inspired.

Date night ideas:

1. Take a drive. Sounds boring to some, but this is how you get closer together. Play your favorite music, sing along together and check out your city. 
2. Walk around, taking pictures. Take turns passing the camera back and forth while you each snap photos. Then compare to see who got the best shots. 
3. Go to the movies. This is something my husband and I finally did on our most recent date night. He had a coupon from when he worked for Target for 2 free movie tickets. Since there was no expiration date, we were able to see the new Godzilla movie. LOVED it! And yes, I believe there will be a sequel!
4. Play Just Dance for 2. See who racks up the most points as you both shake and jive. Do dances meant for two and really get close! Though my husband claims he can't dance, this is one game he beats me at often.
5. Have a Wii tournament. There are some great sports games that you can play together. Get moving while having fun together. 
6. Watch the sunset. While we don't live in the mountains or near the beach (where my favorite sunsets and sunrises happen), we can still get up early and head to a park. Maybe make a simple snack or bring a warm drink along. Cuddle up and watch the beauty unfold. 
7. Make a dessert together. There is something magical about cooking and baking with someone you love. Plus you get to enjoy something delicious when you are done. (We made these healthier cookies.)
   
   
8. Go for a hike. Don't forget to bring along water and be careful. Take the time to talk and really bond. 
9. Play a board game together. No TV in the background! Put on your favorite tunes instead. Not only do you bond, but you can see who has the skills to dominate the board! 
10. Try out a new restaurant. Even if it isn't new to the area, it might just be new to you guys. See if it is what it claims to be! 
11. Paint a canvas together. Doesn't matter what it is. Just put both of your ideas into one. The Dollar Tree carries some in the crafting section.
12. Have a movie night together at home. Grab snacks and snuggle on the couch. Do a marathon even! We have been working on Stranger Things, Season 3. Absolutely one of our favorites!
    
13. Check out a local flea market or thrift store. Walmart and Target will be there, selling whatever is in. But sometimes it can be fun to check out a place selling used and unusual things. So deviate and do something new! 
14. This last one is a favorite of mine. Check out the stars together! Set up an inflatable pool, filled with pillows and blankets in the backyard. Bring a snack. Set up the telescope (if you have one) and then relax together under the stars! 

Be spontaneous! 

 
You don't have to have money to have a great time and get closer to the one you love. You can be creative and just see what happens. A lesson I learned on a recent date was that not everything goes as planned. I'm a huge planner. But sometimes I need to lay off the planning and just go with it. Then things can flow and the fun comes naturally. What date night ideas do you have? 

Light and Fluffy Cookies that Won't Kill Your Diet!

I've been working hard on cutting out sweets and eating less. My goal before Christmas this year is to lose 40 pounds. Not easy to say the least. I love sweets! I've been reading the Eat This, Not That books lately. Trying to get ideas of what I need to switch to. What foods are better to eat. The latest one I got from the library was Cook This, Not That: Kitchen Survival Guide. It had an amazing assortment of recipes. The first one we decided to try was cookies. Of course. In my defense, I've been jonesing for one. The recipe makes about a dozen cookies. 190 calories, 8g fat, 16g sugars. 

Enjoy! 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Make it!

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy. Stir in eggs and vanilla until well incorporated. Add the baking soda, salt and flour and mix until the dough comes together, being careful not to overmix. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Drop the dough onto a baking sheet in balls about 3 tablespoons in size, leaving at least 3 inches between cookies. 
• Bake until the edges are golden and the middles are just barely set. Remove from the sheet and cool on a wire rack. You can sprinkle with a bit of flaky sea salt if you like as well. This draws out the flavor.
  

30 Summer Break Family Fun Ideas!

My kids finish school this week. And then we have two months to fill in with making memories! Which isn't easy on our strict budget. But it is also not impossible. I've been reading Living a Beautiful Life on Less. The author had 2 lists that I pulled some great ideas from. One list was all the great things you can do as a family while the other was date night ideas. In addition, my sons teacher sent a link of events that will be held at one library near us over the summer. They are all free and there are various ones that are divided by age groups. 

What are my favorites?  

I'm going to list out some of the ones I plan on trying with our family. Leave me a comment below about additional ideas you might have!

1. Lego! Pull out some Lego blocks and see who can build the coolest, tallest or most original creation. Don't forget to take pictures! In the past, we built our own versions of a house or a boat and even a city together. 
   
2. Make some s'mores. If you have a fire pit, even better! But if not, there is no harm to making some inside. Don't be afraid to get messy. Making a mess is all part of the fun! 
3. Visit a water park. We have a splash park up the street. It is small, but also free. And when the triple digits hit us, we might need to cool off for a bit. Especially when being stuck inside for days and weeks on end hit us hard. Cabin Fever is real, people! Just remember that you love each other very much. 
4. Visit a museum. Sometimes your local museums have free days or times just for those who live nearby. So see what is available. Our library offers free passes to some of our local museums and attractions. I'm hoping to get one for our family to see the Astronaut exhibit that is currently being held. 
   
5. Geocaching. I heard about this from an awesome friend of mine many years back. He participated. It is a real treasure hunt! You use coordinates to find hidden containers near you. You can create a free account and search for ones near you. Once you find it, you sign the log book inside to prove you found it. Some are big enough to contain items for trade as well. Little trinkets and toys, usually. Just remember to put something in if you take something out! Be fair. Don't leave trash or junk. And put the container back EXACTLY as you found it. That way someone else can find it later. I'm seeing over 800 near our area alone! Can't wait to take the kids searching. This also makes a great date if you and your love like being outdoors!
6. Bowling. I absolutely loved going bowling with my besties. After our shift at the library, we would go bowling and spend a couple hours unwinding and sharing laughter. It was always a blast. How much more so with family? Check out your local bowling alley to see what deals they offer. This is another great date night idea! 
7. After dark treasure hunt. When it gets dark, turn off the lights! Hide something special like a treat or something from the Dollar Tree even. Draw a map with clues and have them figure it out! 
8. Check out the local ice skating or roller skating rink. Again, look on their website or ask about any specials they might have. Another date idea!
9. Vampire hide and seek or just hide in the dark. Two ways to go about this. Vampire hide and seek is something I learned from my in laws. One person hides. As other people find them, they have to hide with them. Until the last person finds the group. Or, just turn off all the lights and have the seeker try to find everyone with a flashlight. Just remind the kids that you will not be going outside! My kids freaked out the first time we played it. 
10. Have a movie marathon. Pick a series of movies. We might do a bunch of Star Trek, Star Wars or Lord of the Rings movies. Get some snacks and snuggle up in front of the TV! 
11. Go for a hike. Pick a park with trails or somewhere new to walk and hike. Get the kids to identify things they are seeing. Maybe look up things you don't know what they are and learn something new together! 
    
12. Have a bake-off challenge. I love this idea! Do boys versus girls. And see who can create the best dessert! 
13. Create an ice cream bar at home. Get all the trimmings and let everyone design their ultimate ice cream treat! 
14. Pull out the telescope! Or if you don't have one, find a place away from the city lights and spread a blanket. You will be amazed at what you can see without interference. My husband has a great telescope that I hope we get to use this summer. That or a trip to your local planetarium. Check to see if they have discount days!
15. Family picture fun. Normally, family photos are boring. And time consuming. And everyone can't wait for them to be over. So how about letting the kids take some? Everyone gets to pitch in on ideas for new family photos. Maybe even add props. 
16. Paint canvases together. The Dollar Tree carries canvases. Get enough that everyone has one and let everyone paint the same scene together. See how we all see things differently, but beautifully at the same time. 
17. Play a card game. 
18. Play a dance game together. We have games for the Wii and the Xbox 360. Such games like Just Dance. Pop one in and have your own competition. See who the Dancing Queen really is in your household! Date night idea!
19. Go for a walk. Sometimes it is good to just walk. Talk. Explore the neighborhood. The key is to be together. Also great for date night!
20. Make your own movie. Work together to write a script and create some costumes. Then film your own movie! 
21. Garden. This might not be the best for the summer. But you could do this as a family. Plant a garden. Even if it is just a few little seed starting trays or pots. 
22. Check your local library. One of the libraries here is having an event nearly every day over the summer. And these are free! They have everything broken into age groups with some being for the whole family. 
23. Read a book together. Take turns reading from a book. Our family loves the I Survived series or American Girl stories. They are riveting, but insightful as well. Reading also helps them maintain their skills for the next school year. 
24. Make cards. Work together to create cards for friends and family. You can use all kinds of things. Construction paper, wrapping paper bits, stickers - be creative! Father's Day, birthdays, other holidays - heck, get a head start on Christmas cards if you want! Just do it together. 
25. Play a video game together. We love playing Minecraft, Mario Kart and dance games. Find something you all enjoy! Also a great date night idea!
26. Watch a documentary. I know, I know. Who watches those anymore? But there are some really interesting things out there. Find out what interests everyone and pick accordingly. Talk about what you learned. 
27. Write a story together. I did something like this with my friends in my younger years. I got a journal and we each took turns writing a chapter. I'm looking forward to seeing what we come up with as a family. Take it easy. Each person write 2-3 sentences. Let it get crazy! Let it be funny. Let it be you. 
    
28. Create a Blessings Bag and help someone in need. We see homeless people quite often. Putting together a bag and grabbing it on the way out is no biggie. Get the kids involved. Water, snacks, gum, small things that help pass the time, cash - whatever you think could be useful to someone with nothing. You could even take it a step further by taking the family to volunteer at a shelter, soup kitchen or nursing home. 
29. Go to the movies! AMC is having a special this summer that should save you some big bucks. $4 for the tickets, popcorn and drinks for kids. Check out the article here. 
30. And this last one is a favorite of mine! Nerf gun battle! Grab your weapon of choice and pick your corner. Then open up and listen to the laughter!!! Another fun date night idea. 

Stay hydrated! Stay safe!

This summer is predicted to be a hot one. So don't forget to keep everyone well hydrated. Especially if you plan to be outdoors. And always play it safe if you are going hiking or walking. Know where you are going and be mindful of what is around. 

What are your plans for the summer? What cool things would you like to try? Leave me a comment below!