Clothing in the Car

              Keeping change of clothing for each child and mom. Keep a full outfit for each child and at least a shirt for yourself. Each person should have there own zip lock bag with there outfit in it. A zip lock gives you a nice easy thing to grab for the child or mom who needs to change. When I was a nanny or had my summer kids I keep the name of each kid on the bag. I keep them under the bucket sit in the van.

• What is the point I don't have a baby?  Even kids who have been potty trained for a long time sometimes just can't holder it any longer. These often happens when you have little to no time to stop. Maybe that is why it happens. (I know make time but sometimes we just are not thinking).  A stop at a fast food place or park can turn out messy. 
• How can I afford that? I keep clothing that is a little big or a little small in the car. It wouldn't be used at the time any way. Sometimes I keep holiday shirt people gave us. It not like it would get used either. An out fit with a stain on it will work fine too. If you don't have something stop by the second hand store and pick out the cheapest thing you can find. Don't go crazy it will not get used often and people will understand that it just happened.

This is what works for me.

Bean Bag Fun!!

Bean bags will come in handy again and again. Here are some ideas I have to get you started but they are a great open ended toy. Bean bags could lead to hours of play.

• Bean Bag Toss- toss the bean bags into a laundry basket, bucket, pie tin or other container. Once he has gotten skilled, make it more challenging by moving the container farther away. • Catch- with friend or by throw up in the air • Balance beam- place bean bags in a line on the floor and walk on them • Pillow- for doll or stuff animals • Balance-walk with a bean bag on your head. Too hard on the head try crawling with them on your back. • Game of hot potato • Practice colors- by talking about the colors or asking your child to bring you the _____ bean bag. • Counting- count the bags, have the child bring you ___ number of bags. • Juggle • Hit the can(s)- set up cans and throw beanbags to knock over the cans • Parachute flip- put bean bag(s) on parachute and flip up. (No parachute? Use a sheet or for a two man game a pillow case.) • Bean bag hide and seek- hide the bean bags all around the room or house for little on to find.

Bean bags have hours of fun in them to help to kill hours of boredom for us. To find out what others do to kill boredom cheek out Works For Me Wednesday "Mom I am bored" week over at We Are That Family. After your done remember to go play with your kids.

I re-use it!!

I know it is sad but I am not good at being Green. One thing I am good at is finding a new life for old stuff. Here is some things I reuse for our table time (Tot School).

Juice boxes I just started saving them. They are strong and it was the right size for the pens. I will be finding more uses for them I am sure.

I am sure we all reuse bubble wrap.(Girlygirl use to hate the noise but loves it now)

It is hard to see but that is one of Girlygirl's paintings made into cutting strips. I save the piece she cuts and give then to her to glue later. I have tried to let her cut and glue at the same time but it hasn't yet worked for her. Play-doh tubs work great for holding things on her trays. I also use the smaller one for sorting or with a small wet rag for painting (this keeps the water cup from making a mess). I save all our lids above she used the to glue below I traced and cut them out for her circle collage.The lacing card is made out of a cracker box and a painting Girlygirl did. I use old food tubs for lots of stuff to store stuff or to hold things on the tot tray. In this tub is cut paper and glue stick.

A cigar box become letter box.

Egg cartons are great. We us then lots we made Easter bunnies this year with them but no picture. Above: is was we use for counting. Below is pattern matching.The mail box is made from a tissue box.The jar is hold all kind of old stuff.We painted news paper hearts for Valentine's Day. I know I do reuse other stuff and I am do an other post about it someday. I just don't want this to be too long or is it too late. Anyways what do you reuse in your tot school or just with your kids?

20 Minute Cleaning

I hate to clean. If I could I'd never do it. Even now at home all day. I don't keep my house clean. I play so much with Girlygirl, do stuff outside, cook dinner everyday but I have a hard time cleaning. I know it is number one on Sweetdudes list to come home to a clean house. I know this so I try hard to clean my house house most days. My style of cleaning is well odd. Here is how I cleaning our living room.

My living room really did look like that. I set my timerSo I set the timer for 20 minutes. I got this idea from the FLYlady. She says 15 but I never finish in 15 minutes so I do 20. Then I pick up and put away all the big stuff that I can't sweep and put the dishes. 5 min in and one call from Girlygirl for help. My living room looks like this (picture below).Now what to do with that big pile in the mild of the room? I just put into smaller piles. Each room has a pile then I bring the whole pile to the room and put each thing in its place. After each pile has been put away the right way I clean the couch and sweep one more time to get the small stuff left. As you can see my room is not prefect but 90% better than before I started. 20 minute cleaning works for me. Go to We are that Family to see what works for others. Today I am going to say remember it is more fun to play in a clean your living space and enjoy it.

Back Pack

I have chosen to teach Girlygirl to be responsible for herself from a young age. One way I have done this is by giver her a toddler size back pack. The whole thing is her responsibility. Before going out she needs to pack it with the right stuff. At this point I still do guide her as she packs her bag. Here is what she has in her bag: • 2 change of pants and underwear • only because she still likely to pee in her pants • 1 change of shirt and socks • 1Subway bag (I save Subway bags for wet clothing when we are out) • 2 toy or toy sets- One stays in her back pack all the time. It is a set of Pooh characters for the Dollar Tree. (It is great fun when wait for food at restaurants or when mom and dad are talk at church.) The other she picks it must fit in her bag. If she picks blocks the she can have 5. (Look for a blog to come soon about great toys to bring when going out) • 1 or 2 books- They change from time to time as Girlygirl chooses. The only rule is it must fit in her bag. • Her wallet which holds her money that she gets each week. • Her special blanket. • Snack -I put one snack in her bag and a cup of ice water It is Girlygirl stuff and therefore her job to hold it. I will help her sometimes but most the time I make her do it.

Free: Table time/ Tot School Tools

As I was looking at blogs this morning I saw a few people use droppers for different things. Like the water transfer over at My Montessori Journey and marbleizing paper over at Chasing Cheerios. You can get free eye/med droppers from your Pharmacy. I have gotten them from Walgreen's without buying any meds. You just have to go ask. I ask for 3 and they just gave them too me. I have not done this because I got paint cups for $2 at a garage sale last year but Michelle over at Her Cup Overfloweth had a great idea to use Ice coffee cups as paint cups. Take a look here. Just some good ideas to have good cheep fun with your little one. As always remember to play with your child today.

Reasons to buy a Gallon of Ice Cream

I have been buying gallon ice cream for about a year now. It is not as good as the name brand ice cream so from time to time I do still buy the name brand stuff when it is on sale. I have found lost of reasons to buy a big tub of ice cream.

1. It is cheaper: There for I get it more often.
2. The tubs make great buckets for cleaning, play in the sand, etc.
3. The tubs are a great place for small toys or stuff for table time
4. I can afford to get topping for my ice cream and it is still cheaper.
5. I use the tubs for a GB (garbage blow when cooking)
6. I have a tub with cat food in it.

As you can see I mostly love all the things you can do with the tubs there for saving me even more money. I am glad I have started buying gallon ice cream to save money. What is something you buy and reuse the container it came in? Tell us about it.

Kissing Shoes: Getting the Shoes on the right feet

So I have seen lots of people do the Works for me Wednesday. I have loved reading all the tips found though We are THAT Family. I have thought many times I should join but then can't come up with a good idea to join in with. Well, I have an idea. My mom told me about a little girl at her school who has kissing shoes. Her mom put smiley faces on each shoe when they can kiss they are on the right feet. It has worked great with Girlygirl. Now I only needed to ask Girlygirl "Can the kiss?" she knows to cheek her shoes. It works great for my daughter who hates to be wrong.