Preschool Pointers - 30: Just Take It All Away

Problem:

You try to do something nice for your kids and instead of showing any modicum of gratitude, they make little, tiny problems into the most important priority, arguing, fighting, crying and generally making a mess of this. Spoiled? Yeah, but weird, right? Because it's not like you consciously spoil them.

Solution:

Just take it all away. No, seriously. I get a lot of crap for this, but I don't even care. Did you really want to go to that egg hunt anyway? Is the trick or treating for you? Are you going to have the time of your life visiting Santa at the mall? Wouldn't you rather eat all that candy your kids just received?

I mean, don't do it all the time, but sometimes, it's okay. If your kids can't get it together before you leave for an excruciatingly family-oriented event, stay home. They'll be pissed. But they were pissed anyway. And at four, they do get the point.






 

Cooking with Toddlers: Audrey Onciul

Toddlers.  They drive us nuts.  And we love them.  We just don’t always like them very much.  I’m not sure about the majority of Moms, but my biggest toddler complaint is my two year old’s constant need to be involved, with everything, even if it’s just by being underfoot.  Typical two year old, right?  Of course right.  Usually, I just deal and step around her and carry on my business.   The one place where this wasn’t usually possible, was the dreaded kitchen.

Now, we have a relatively small kitchen.  And I have a relatively healthy (or unhealthy, depending on how you look at it) relationship with my kitchen.   I cook a lot, I bake a lot.  I’m trying to move in a “no store bought processed food” type direction, as much as possible with a toddler and infant.  So I bake our own bread, english muffins, bagels, cookies.  I’m starting to can my own BBQ sauce, ketchup and pasta sauce.   All good in theory, right?   The baby, as of this writing, loves to sit in his kitchen bouncer and watch.   The problem is, the toddler.  I spend too much time in the kitchen to time it around her sleeping, and with hot, dangerous processes going on, I can’t have her underfoot.   This presents a problem.  The solution, however, was so simple, so elegant, that I didn’t even see it at first.  This brilliant solution of mine lets me balance making what I want to make without tripping over her.   

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

Are you ready?

I let her help.

This move might seem obvious to some of you.   But others, like myself, originally wouldn’t have even thought of it!   My neighbor has a three year old and can’t figure out how I cook as much as I do.  She claims she hasn’t been able to do so much as bake a batch of cookies since she was pregnant with her first, and she was absolutely floored when I told her that I let my 2 year old help.    I think I didn’t think of it at first, because I tend to still think of her as a baby in many ways and forget that she’s capable of more than I give her credit for.  The best part is, she LOVES it so much that even when I’m doing something she can’t help with, she loves to watch, quietly, in the hope that I will give her something to do!   I moved her stool to the end of the counter (as far away from the stove as she can be and still be at the counter), and any time I go into the kitchen, she climbs up and watches everything I’m doing at the counter.

But, wait, you might be thinking, “yeah right lady.  What can a two year old really do to help?”   You’d be surprised.  She can help pour things like flour and sugar into a bowl.  She’s really fantastic at using a cookie cutter to cut out cookies.   She loves to “help” knead the bread and roll dough out with the rolling pin.   Some things she’s not so good at include helping mix meatloaf by hand (she tries to put her hands, raw meat and all, in her mouth too much), cracking eggs (I don’t think elaboration is needed there), or mixing most things (not enough arm strength).  But I find the balance of what she can and can’t help with is enough to keep her interested for long periods of time.  And as a HUGE added bonus?   After she’s done “helping” me cook or bake, she further occupies herself by going to her play kitchen and using her utensils to cook!   

So folks, no more excuses.  No more “I want to cook/bake more, but can’t with a toddler underfoot.”  Just go for it.  They may really surprise you.  Remember, they WANT to help you.    As my mama says “home is their first school.”  And you might get lucky and they’ll be so occupied with their new skill that you’ll even get some peace after.  Plus picky eaters might be more inclined to eat something they helped with!  Now to work on getting her to help with loading the dishwasher, that may be trickier.  If you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a rambunctious two year old to start some Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread for snack time later.







 

Guest Post - Stretch That Dollar: Living on Less

Today, I'm lucky enough to have a guest post on how to save some much-needed cash.

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Living on a budget can be a challenge, but the benefits outweigh the effort in the long run. Living frugally can not only be an enjoyable experience, it can help you save up for cars, houses or other big budget items.

Car Buying on a Budget

Particularly with an automobile purchase, it's truly is better to spend a little more on a newer vehicle in order to save yourself the hassle of costly repairs down the road. There are plenty of places where you can get your hands on a used (but newer and in good shape) vehicle for a little less. The stigma that used to surround buy-here-pay-here car dealerships is fading. Many of these places are more legitimate than they were thought to be in the past, and because they offer in-house financing, they are able to offer you more competitive rates than other dealerships. But in order to walk into those dealerships, you need to start living a little more frugally, and save a little more of your hard earned dough.

Planning

The hardest part about starting a new budget plan is the planning part. It's essential, but it can be daunting. Ever think you have plenty of money in the bank, only to get declined at the checkout counter, or get a nasty surprise when you check your account? Not knowing exactly where all your money goes can be one of the biggest stumbling blocks to starting, and successfully completing a tighter budget.

Balancing Cash and Cards

Cash is more difficult to keep track of than spending on a card, but a balance of the two can be helpful. Take a week to look at what you spend, and where you spend it. How much do you spend on take out, coffee or clothes? What about more expensive things like filling up your gas tank? Try and trim down your small expenditures to less than $40 a week. Take out $40 at the beginning of the week and use that cash for the small items. This way you can get a clearer picture of how much you spend on things you may not need.

Do It Yourself

It can be surprising how much money we spend on things that we can make for pennies on the dollar at home. Brewing coffee can be just as good at home as it is when it's bought from trendy coffee shops. Bubble baths, face scrubs, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies and other daily-use items can be made at home. This can also be an enjoyable activity for friends or young kids to get involved in, making it fun and cheap.
The best way to start your new life as a frugality champion is to make a budget and stick to it. It's alright to work gradually into a new stricter budget, making the change from lots of unnecessary spending to very little can be a struggle. But by keeping to the budget you set for yourself, you can be on your way to a wealthier you!

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Devin Perez

A recent college graduate, Devin enjoys the freedom that comes with a freelance writing career.

Guest Post - Outdoor Activities for Kids

First and foremost: A blog post about my epic Pinterest fail is a finalist in a blogging competition over at Undertendollars. Go vote for it, please? It's worth your read, I promise.

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Second, I have a guest post today on some outdoor fun for you and your family.



Family vacations offer a lot of opportunities for spending time and bonding with the kids. If you’re not
careful though, your vacation can become overrun with keeping in touch with people still at home,
spending too much time watching tv in the hotel room, and doing other activities that are rote for
everyday life.

The key to making the most of your vacation is planning. Look into what is going on around your
destination. Are there local fairs and festivals? Is there a really popular hiking trail within driving
distance? The key is to plan events to get your kids out of their comfort zone and into the mindset of
creating new memories. Below are some ideas for outdoor activities to participate in while on vacation.

Bird Watching

Whether you’re staying at a chain hotel or a bed and breakfast, you’ll be able to find information about
local wildlife. Many vacation spots have activities such as bird watching hikes to get people out and
experiencing the local fauna. At the very least, a bed and breakfast with a garden most likely has a bird
bath or hummingbird feeder where you can watch species that may not be familiar at home.

Give the kids a checklist of local birds and send them around the neighborhood seeing if they can spot them.
This is something they can do in the car as well, or when you go on different outings. The goal of filling up their checklist will keep them occupied during the whole trip.

Hiking

Don’t give into the temptation to spend your entire vacation in bed. It’s important to rest, but it’s also
important to see new sights. Nature also has a tendency to revitalize and re-center, so a nice hike may
do more to relax you than twenty naps would.

Hotels often have listings of local hiking trails. You can go as a family or participate in a scheduled group
hike. This is great to incorporate the bird watching checklist, as a lot of species can be found in the
woods and mountains that don’t always frequent the cities.

Water Actvities

Kids love the water, so if you’re having trouble dragging them away from their electronics, suggest a
swim. Whether it’s the hotel pool, or a nearby lake or river, the water offers tons of possible activities.
Kids are forever making up water games and having swimming competitions, so let their imaginations
run wild.

If you’re near a river or lake with fish, offer them the opportunity to catch their dinner. You can decide
whether they’re old enough to learn to clean the fish or if you want to keep that aspect of the circle of
life from them for a bit longer.

If you’re in a tropical area, scuba diving and snorkeling are fun family activities that are educational too.
First you’ll have to take classes to learn the equipment and safety precautions. Then while participating,
you can teach children about the different plants and animals they may spot.

Many lakes and rivers rent out boats or have daily rafting trips. Canoes and sailboats can be great for
a family lunch out on the lake or on the opposite shore. Rafting is an exciting activity that is sure to get
everyone wet and create fun memories.

All it takes to plan outdoor activities for your vacation is a little initiative. Look into what makes your
vacation spot unique. Whether there are unique plants or wildlife, or exciting activities offered, you’ll
be able to find something to do that ensures that your kids will have fun memories to share with their
friends. They won’t come back from vacation and say “I didn’t really do much.” So get out there and
explore today!


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Ernie Allison loves nature. More specifically, he loves birds and wants to teach others how to appreciate them, too. During this time of year, Ernie participates in several citizen science programs, paying close attention to hummingbird migration.




 

Recipe Monday - Taco Skillet

Okay, so that looks half-disgusting. It's delicious, though, particularly for young kids, and a very quick way to use ground beef.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 10 34 ozs condensed tomato soup (campbell, regular or 25 less sodium)
• 12 cup salsa
• 12 cup water
• 6 flour tortillas (6 6 inch, cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 12 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Cook beef in 10-inch skillet until well browned, stirring to break up meat. Pour off fat.
2. Stir in soup, sour cream, salsa, water, tortillas. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes Stir. Top with cheese.

That's it. Mexican without the messy, keep-it-in-the-tortilla challenge. Also sweeter because of the soup.