Space Saving Tip: Train Table Alternative

When my son got a wooden train track, I immediately thought about getting a train table.  Before I even realized how expensive they are, I thought how much space they are going to take up and what a pain getting around it would be.  I tried to think up alternatives, there are some really neat ideas out there, but most went under the bed and we don't have a bed frame on his bed.  I sew and had an extra foldable cutting board (made of cardboard) that had really seen better days.  I decided to paint (horribly I might add) a land scene on it.  My son LOVED it!  He plays with his train set on it, construction trucks, regular toy cars, and uses his blocks to build cities and bridges.  It folds up easily and is long and slender, so I can store it under the couch.  As you can see, it stands up to quite a bit.  A foldable cutting board can be purchased at any fabric stores and some Walmarts.  They cost about $10 regularly priced, but go on sale often at fabric stores.  Try it for your little guy or girl.

Tricky Snacks

This idea started out when my son was a baby and he couldn't grab a banana piece without it slipping out of his hand.  I took a sandwich bag and put breakfast cereal (usually a type of corn flake or crisped rice) and then smashed the cereal up into really small crumbs.  I sliced banana, divided the slices, then tossed them in the bag.  The crumbs kept the banana from getting slimey and slippery.  I also discovered that it kept the banana from turning dark colors, so I could store them for the day to have for "feed me now" snacks or on the go.  I use this still for my 12 month old, but my 3 year old demands "big boy" food.  So now I slice the bananas and do not divide them, but still roll in the crumb bag.  This makes the bananas look like chicken nuggets!  A great extra is to put strawberry preserves in a little bowl for dunking (looks like ketchup).  A healthy snack that is super fun.  Your kids will love the idea of the food looking like something else and you'll love the idea of them chowing down a nutritious snack. Try it.

Can You Spell FUN?

School has started, and so has homework.  Are you already tired of rattling off spelling words while you are cooking?  Put on new spin on the same old stuff.  Take it outside!  Grab that bucket of sidewalk and have your star pupil write his/her spelling words on the driveway or patio.  You get to sit back in a lawn chair, non-school-age brothers and sisters get to play outside, plus the "big" kids are actually studying and learning.  Shhh...we won't say that too loud.  Your children might even start begging you to quiz them on spelling.  This works on a broad range of ages.  Try it.

The Powerful Pizza Cutter

I use a pizza cutter every day.  No, I don't eat pizza everyday.  I use it to cut sandwiches, slices of cheese and lunchmeat, and most often pasta.  A pizza cutter cuts food much faster than a knife or than a sideways fork.  I can cut a plate of spaghetti or penne in seconds.  We all know that a hungry baby/toddler/preschooler is not in the mood to wait.  So the faster you get the food to them, the better.  The best benefit is that you can do it one handed!  We all know that parents of young kids live life one handed. Try it.

It's Stick Day!

Every once in a while I make any random day "Stick Day".  Everything we eat is on a stick. This puts a new twist on the same 'ole food, and gives me a great opportunity to introduce new foods that normally would not stand a chance. Everything tastes better on a stick, right? Especially to a kid. You can use wooden skewers or toothpicks. Now with smaller children, this obviously requires supervision. Stick Day will become your kids favorite day of the week. Try it.

Kitchen Tip: Saving cheese

Does your cheese get hard and crusty spots in the fridge?  No matter how tight you try to wrap it, it can still happen.  Rub your cheese with a little bit of butter.  All you need is a light coat to make a barrier and protect your cheese.  Try it!

Horse for breakfast?

"Huh?" That is what your kids will say. Followed by "Wow!"

Use a ketchup/mustard plastic squirt bottle to pour pancake mix. It makes things a lot less messy and you can do fun shapes! I have made a game with my son about picking out the pancake that doesn't match (one square or triangle in a bunch of circle pancakes) and trying to learn his letters with letter shaped pancakes. This idea is a blast from my past. A little girl I babysat way back when I was in high school told me how that morning she had a pancake that was a L for her name. She told me about how her friend's mom did that for everyone at a sleepover and explained the ketchup bottle idea to me. I told myself that if I ever had kids of my own, I was going to do cool stuff like that. Hope you like this idea and try it yourself. Let me know how it goes.

Product Trial: Bounce Dryer Bar

Have you heard about the Bounce Dryer Bar? You are supposed to stick it to the inside of your dryer and not have to worry about laundry sheets. I got my hands on a great coupon for it and am going to test it out. Today will be day one. I will post on this product for the next month. It is supposed to last up to 4 months. Let's see how it stands up to the test. I will keep you updated. Be sure to check back and see if it is a product that you would be interested in.

Space Saving Idea

To make more room for all the toys my son has, we needed to be creative with space saving. First, we took the doors off of his closet. Then we put a coffee table that was not being used in it. We put his t.v. on top of it and used the space under for toys. We hung all of his shirts and bought hanging closet cubes to put shorts, pants, p.j.'s, socks, and underwear in. It works great! Not ready to ditch your dresser? You might want to just put the dresser in the closet to free up some space.

Boo Boo Fixers

'Tis the season for playing outside. That means a ton of scrapes and bruises. I have a toddler and a preschooler. We are always falling and getting boo boos. I have used the "boo boo fixer". It is a ketchup packet that I keep in the freezer. I keep about 5 in there. They don't freeze completely, so you can bend them to fit the spot. They are cold, but not too cold. They work great and they are FREE! Just grab some extra at the drive thru next time.

My new blog

Wow, I have been thinking about doing this for a while. This blog will be a place to share all of the things that have been helping me "survive" as a mom. There will be ideas, tips, reviews of products, and parent talk. I hope that some of the things I have found helpful will help you as well.

About Me

About Kim (in real life):

I am a stay at home mom of 2 young children.  My son is 4 years old and my daughter is 2 years old.  My husband and I are licensed foster parents.  I am excited about adding to my family (temporarily and hopefully permanently) and sharing that journey with others.

I am a Texas girl that ended up in Illinois (via the husband). 

I am slowly getting used to calling this place home. 

I started this blog to share crafts, activities, and ideas with other moms.  Somewhere along the way I got interested in photography.  It started as wanting to take better quality pictures of my kids (and for the blog), but has evolved into a passion.  I love photography.  While you can find my previous crafts and activities here, you will notice my recent posts are about my life, fostering, and photography.  

I love to talk and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.  So just ask.  :-) 

Other places you can find me:

Kim is a craft editor on Everything Mom.  It is a great website that (you guessed it) has everything for mom.  I am so honored to be a part of their team.  I only wish I had thought of it. 

Kim is a contributor at No Time For Flash Cards.  This is one of the greatest things that has happened to me since I started blogging.  This site is a daily inspiration for parents and teachers.  Showcasing crafts, learning games, books, and so much more, No Time For Flash Cards is an amazing site owned by an amazing woman.

 
 
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