It begins! Back to School Giveaway

It begins today! Now is the time to comment to THIS post, follow our blog and like us on FB for your chance to win our first prize, highlights from our blog such as Hair Flowers, a baby gift box, Boxtops for Education for your school, and more. Tell your friends and make them like, follow, and comment for your chance to win our referral prize of a $50 gift card to Walmart courtesy of Bumblebliss. Just like us on Facebook and follow our blog. Comment to us that you did on THIS post and you will get two entries for the first prize. For every person you recommend that does the same and tells us so in their comments, you will get additional entries for the second prize of the gift card.. We have outlined the rules more fully on this post so if you're confused, check it out.

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Edited for clarification.

                                  Misty and Eve

Packing lunch Peacefully.

With school starting up again it reminds me of all the lunches I have packed in the past.  I'm not a huge fan of the lunches the school provided.  I'm not saying its bad but I can pack better things and get more nutrition for my buck.  Food is fuel for growing bodies and brains.   I want to know what my kids were eating.  They brought home the cute little bags and I could see what was left over.  I knew if they only had cookies that day if there was still the rest left in there. Sandwiches were not always a big hit but we found little ideas to get around that.  Here were some of our favorites. 

* Cracker Stacker's-  We packed wheat crackers in a bag, cheese cut into pieces the size of the cracker, and most of the time lunch meat also cut the size of the crackers.  Like a lunchable but half the cost and whole grain crackers.  Kiddlets liked the novelty of it and it wasn't PB&J so it was a hit.

* Lunch Logs- I know cheesy names but I have young kids and if I called it a lunch log it would be eaten.  If I called it lunch meat and fat free cream cheese wrapped in a whole grain tortilla it might not have been.  Its that simple too.  Spread the FF cream cheese and lay out some meat.  Roll it up and wrap it in foil or plastic wrap.  Oh and depending on the size of the lunch box cut it in to pieces to get it all to fit. 

* Trail Mix-  We like our nuts here and we love our fruit.  We make a trail mix out of fruit that has been dehydrated and left as plain as possible and nuts, not honey roasted or lightly salted, just plain nuts.  We would mix in a variety of nuts and fruits and call it good. 

* Vegis and Hummus-  Yes I have kids that will eat hummus, but only if its the roasted garlic flavors.  Mmm I can taste it now.  It isn't something I can pack often but it gets eaten and I feel pretty good about it.

* Apple wedges and peanut butter- My Son started to sit at the peanut free table so these had to stop but it was so simple on me, I missed it.  Cut up an apple and bag it.  Pack up some peanut butter and toss it in.  I added a bag of pretzel's to get the rest out but they loved it. 

* Ants on a log- Celery that we filled with peanut butter and then topped with raisins.  Simple easy and kids loved em. 

*Leftovers-  If we had chicken the night before then they could see again the next day.  As long as I can keep it cold and safe.

I'm a big fan of being ahead of the game.  I have three bins in my home for lunches, two in the pantry and one in the fridge.  I keep one full of salty treats and one sweet treats both packed to about 100 calories give or take a few.  In the fridge I have bags full of carrots and celery that I have prewashed and cut up.  They last a few weeks like that so I cut two weeks at a time.  When I pack lunches I grab a salty, a sweet, a vegi and a main item.  For the Hubbs I pack him an extra snack and a fruit.  Something simple and long lasting a bag of almonds, a protein bar, a string cheese or a nut bar gets him over that gap in between breakfast and lunch.  Today he even got some diced up chicken in a cute pink Hello Kitty container.  I guess we need to buy more lunch sized containers.

Though we don't go to school anymore and have opted to have school at home we still pack a lot of picnics and have treats on hand.  We pack lunches and go to historical sites then have lunch on a towel ofter to talk about it.  Its much cheaper then a stop by a fast food restaurant and better for us too.

LInking up with
Somewhat Simple

                                XOXO  Misty

Back to school giveaway!!!

Swim days, lazy days, and vacation days are over for those of you who live in areas where there is year round school. It's time again for packing lunches, and schedules, glue, composition books, and hand sanitizer. To get you started off right we wanted to do a giveaway to help you and your school. Boxtops for Education has been a staple at my kid's school since it opened. If you're like me, they can sometimes be hard to come by depending on your shopping habits. Well we want to help you out. One winner will win boxtops for their school and a surprise for them. The person who has the most referrals will win a $50 gift card to Walmart so tell your friends. The usual rules will apply.

1. Follow us here on our blog and tell us you did so. (one entry)
2. Like us on Facebook and leave us a comment saying you did so.(one entry)
3. Tell your friends about us and if they follow us and tell us you sent them you and your friend will get one entry.
4. The person with the most referrals will get a special prize.

Make sure you leave us a way to get back in touch with you if you win. Either leave an email address or have your profile up to date with a way to contact you. Repeat entries will be deleted. Be sure to check out all the fun stuff we have on our blog! If no one claims the prize within 48 hours we will redraw and/or recount so check back with us!

The drawing will begin on July 27, 2011 and end on August 8, 2011.

Linking up with
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                               Misty and Eve

Thredup. Kids clothes swap website review.

I'm always on the lookout for ways to get my kids clothes for cheap.  They grow so fast they only wear them for a short while.  Why should I spend the same amount on clothes for me that I can wear for years as the clothes for them?  I signed up for the site off a referral link from a friend.  A few days later I got a shipment of boxes to fill.  I had no idea they were going to send boxes, it was a pleasant surprise.  It probably said in the fine print somewhere. 

The basics of the site.  You fill a box and someone buys it.  You get a credit that you can use on a different box.  Great recycling plan.  You pay $5 plus shipping which is $10.95 flat rate for the boxes they supplied, so $15.95 for a box.  Its free to send they boxes on the senders end since the buyer pays for it.  When you get a box you review it and give it a rating. 

Since it is a swap site there is a balance thing they have I have not discovered yet but read about.  Something to the point of buy as many as you sell to keep it even.  I have way more clothes then I need so I guess I will find out. 

I have just filled my first box.  I have not purchased on yet though.  I filled it up with clothes of the same size and gender and made a detailed description of them.  I also took a picture and put it up on flickr so that people could peek before they buy it. 

I got a referral link that said I could give my friends a $5 credit and get a $5 credit the first time they buy a box.  I'm not sure how that all works into the swap balance but I thought I would share it.  It can take your box down by $5.  http://www.thredup.com/270657  I also got an email after a week or so of signing up that offered me 30% off a box.  I don't yet know if these are able to be combined. 

I still have a lot to learn about this site but I am going to give it a try and let you know.  It may be a wonderful way to get my kids dressed at a discount.  It may be a waste of my time and money.  So far so good.  I will post part two as soon as my box is picked and rated. 

ThredUp

  XOXO Mist

Matching Hardware.

I get home one day and use my key to get in my house.  I get in fine but the key isn't going to come out of my doorknob.  After trying my general fix of "tapping with force" to get it out I gave up and retrieved my screwdriver to remove the knob in whole.  I figured I may not be able to get it out but someone else might be so it was better to have a hole in my door then leave my house key out for the taking.  Before I could sneak out and get a new knob the Hubby came home and removed the key, but there was no using the doorknob after.  We put it all back together and went on a quest to find doorknobs we like to use and to look at. We opted to not use the brass finish we had before.  Seemed perfect at the time but we ran into a problem after we got home. 

I do really like the look of these doorknobs and they fit our style so much more.  We are taking tiny steps to make our house our home.  These tiny changes are adding up to this being our place. 

Here is the problem.  The rest of our house is done in brass knobs and there is no way we want to swing replacing all doorknobs at once.  There are a lot of things higher on the priority list. 

This is my Sons door just around the corner from our new hardware.  Shiny brass in view of our black just drew out the attention more that we needed to change things. I again turned to my dollar a can spray paint and added three coats.  It takes a while to dry before you can really grip it or you could leave finger prints in the paint and end up doing it all over again but other then that its simple.  I stand the knob up in the lid of the spray paint and that way I can shot from all angles and turn it around with out touching the still tacky paint. 

Its not perfect but it is better then what it was.  It will work fine until we can buy the matching doorknobs.  Ive loved being able to make the changes myself instead of wait until our budget said we could.  It means a lot to me to work my budget instead of my budget working me.

XOXO Mist 

Hair Elastic Exposion

More bling for my daughter's hair and simple enough she can do it herself.  It's just basic elastics and material.  I cut the material into 8 inch by 1 inch strips.  Tie it on with a loop and pull the ends through.  Pull it tight and it will pop when you get it full. 

Put on as many ribbons as you want.  It is all dependent on how full you want it to be when its on.  This is what I did.  I used 15 ribbons of material tied on for 30 strands sticking out. 

This is what it looks like in her hair.  She loves the poof of color and the tiny sparkles on the material.  It was made of scraps I had around the house and basic hair elastics.  Total cost was under $1 per set.

XOXO Mist

Cheap fix for an old light bar.

My house is getting old enough it needs tiny fixes and its not a top priority in our budget.  Id love to be able to fix it all but Id love more to live comfortable in my home and pay my bills at the same time.  My bathroom light bar has been rusting bit by bit.  I just wanted a new look to get us by until we found the perfect fixture and brought it home. 

You can just barely peek the rust at the bottom and no matter how many shots I took it shouldn't show better then this.  This is the light bar that came in our starter home 10 years ago and what we have hanging today.  My hubby is against the idea and he may have a point but I decided to paint it black.  He may have a point but really I think I cant break broken so why worry about it.   Its just a temporary fix but I think it matches our style more then brass and rust. 

Don't laugh at my light bulb choice.  They throw great light.  We will upgrade these too but for now temporary fix with a total cost of $1 for the cheap flat spray paint they sell at Walmart.  We are in the slow process of changing the decor to a Mickey Mouse theme.  Now we just wait for the Hubbs to get home.  Better to ask for forgivness then permission. 

XOXO Mist

Product Review: Purex Crystals

I have not done much research on this subject which is wholly unlike me but on a whim I decided to purchase this. Misty is usually the one I go to when I need to find out about something because she is usually up to date on new products but I didn't this time. I am in no way being compensated for this review. I have not received money nor free product for this review and it is wholly my own. Take it as you please.

I bought this at the store for around $4 which isn't too bad but after I got home and read the directions, I realized that there was no lid on my bottle so I don't know exactly how much of a measured portion is required. That being the case, I don't know if that affects the outcome of my review.  I bought the purple one which is Lavender something. It smells pretty good. I really just poured a bit into the washer, added my detergent and did the usual. As a disclaimer, I use Arm & Hammer powdered laundry detergent. I think this makes a difference. Though my detergent has baking soda in it, I can usually smell it's fragrances that are meant to "freshen" my laundry. But after sending the load through the dryer with my regular dryer sheet, the fragrance doesn't last. That is why I decided to try this out. I am on a laundry binge right now so I am doing a lot of loads. So far the laundry smells good when I load it. When I take it out to fold...


nothing. Really, nothing. I didn't add a fabric softener sheet to the first load to see if I could smell the Purex. I did notice that there is more static than I am accustomed to in my clothes. Not necessarily in everything, but some things. I know a lot of the reviews I did read after I purchased this product were good but they also sounded like they were somewhat copied and pasted from the website. Things like "92% natural," and "no animal fats," blah, blah, blah, you get the idea. I'm sure that this is probably coincidental since those were the main selling points but to me it just read funny. I wonder though, if I used a different detergent if it would make a difference. Perhaps my baking soda deodorizing detergent works a little too well. Maybe that should be a disclaimer. --Do not use with detergents containing baking soda as results may be altered-- Who knows. This bottle lasted me about 20 loads so far and still counting. After using the crystals for over two weeks I actually do notice the scent. It isn't right away all the time but after my laundry has been folded and later put on, I do smell the intended fragrance on the clothes. I do still add dryer sheets to my dryer to help with static so I don't know if this is really worth it to me. I think that if I really wanted my laundry to smell like something I should probably switch to another detergent and/or another form of fabric softener. I really just rate this as "ok" as far as my tastes go. I don't think that I'll purchase this again unless I get it at a smokin' deal.

                                     Eve

German Pancakes.

I can remember my Mom pulling these puffy things out of the oven when I was a child.  I knew it was magic.  I wanted to share some of that magic with my family and they loved them as much as I did as a child.   The recipe is so simple my 6 year old helped me make them with every step but removing them from the oven. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

I mix my batter in a blender.  You could whisk it but it needs to be smooth. 

6 Eggs

1 Cup Flour

1 Cup Milk

1/2 Tsp Salt

Generously grease a 9 x 13 deep dish like one you would make a cake in.  I use butter or margarine because it adds to the flavors. 

After its all blended pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.  We serve ours right from the pan at the table with jam or syrup. 

Its a simple childhood memory I am passing down to my kids and in the end its the memories made that matter most. 

XOXO Mist

Hair Flowers

I spent my morning shopping for a Birthday party my child was attending. As usual, I procrastinated to the last minute because I forgot. I'm good like that. I already had something in mind for the gift but when I got to the store I found out how much they cost and I was thoroughly miffed. Really? Six dollars for a headband? I don't think so. I'll make my own thank you. And so I went home to scrounge for some materials.

Nothing special as usual and all things that I had on hand. I have found that fabric scraps are really useful for small projects. For this project I used a scrap of t-shirt that I had on hand but you can use whatever you would like.

First, cut a strip of fabric about 1.5-2 inches wide and then cut them out into squares.

Depending on how large you want your flower will determine how many squares to cut. For mine I wanted a layered look that would not end up flat so I cut out 5 large squares and 4 smaller squares.

To assemble the petals, fold your square in half diagonally.

Put a dot of glue at the base of the triangle in the center and glue one side down. Repeat on the other side.

  

On the folded straight edge, place glue on one half of the base and then glue it to the other half of the base.

 Repeat this for all of your petals.

 Glue your petals together.

If you want your flower layered but not too thick then don't glue them too close together in the center. I wanted mine a little thicker so I glued mine close together on the bottom layer and the top layer. Glue the top layer petals to the bottom layer and then add embellishments to the center.

Glue the flower to your headband, elastic or clip.

 

That's it. If this inspires you to make your own, please link back to us and share the blog lovin.

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