Mom on the Go, Grab and go!

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I have a tip that I believe the cooks in the family would find quit helpful.  I love this idea and find it very helpful for me and my family and I just had to share this with you.  As most of you know I’m a working wife, mother, and author, but I'm also the cook in the family.  I loved Racheal Ray’s 30 minute meal ideas so much that it has become a huge phenomenon in my house.  I decided to incorporate the concept of the 30 meal into even easier concept that I like to call the “grab and go”!

Once a week (normally Sundays, for about 2 hours) I put on my robo-cook hat and I go to town.  I take about 2-3 similar 30 minute meals ideas and prepare them all at the same time.  The big time saver is that I use key “fresh” ingredients that can be carried over from one meal to the next.  This also helps to cut down on trips to the store throughout the week. After the meals are done, they are portioned into grab and go containers and stored in the fridge or the freezer.  Meals are ready for the family for an entire work week.   Additionally the grab and go meals are convenient for snack/lunch ideas, breakfast, or maybe a home cook meal for a friend one night during the week.   There is no rushing home after the gym or long commute and trying to figure out what to cook.  No, our meals are right at our finger tips.  The time saved becomes valuable family time spent together or just time for me to relax.  Hope to hear from you soon!

 

No TV Policy  Image below brought to you by jupiterimages.com all rights reserved
I wanted to experiment with my daughter and found that our new No TV policy works for the whole family.  A normal evening in our house included turning on the TV as soon as we got in.  Well that isn’t the case any longer; well actually it’s more like 3 days per week.  Instead of coming home and turning on the TV we’ve found various things to do together as a family.  This includes planting flowers, which I’m not a planting flowers type of girl; playing kick ball;  cooking dinner together; going for an extended walk or jog to kill time; or just sitting out on the porch and taking in the cool breeze.

Personally I’ve found myself to be much calmer and at peace, no background noises or distractions.  My daughter doesn’t even notice and with all of our other activities she hasn’t had time to ask for it.  Now because I love TV just as much as the next mom, I decided that 3 times per week of No TV worked for us.  However the no TV policy is only in effect until around 7:30pm or 8:00pm, right after dinner and just shy of bedtime (9:00pm).

About 15 minutes before her bedtime the TV is once again turned off or muted while we read a few of her favorite books, then its lights out.

Come up with your own activities and try this No TV experiment with your own family.  If you already have this policy in effect send us a few of your pointers to help with the transition.  Have fun, get creative, and we look forward to your emails.  Image brought to you by jupiterimages.com all rights reserved

 

 Kids art work! Image provided by freimages.com

  I discovered the one of the greatest things to do with some of my kid’s art work.  Everyday she comes home with art work and everyday I’m finding a new spot in her bedroom or clearing another area on the fridge to post them.  Well this morning while I was going through her art work this idea came to mind.  "Purge out the one’s that she can do without and turn the others into her very own book."  For instance each week she comes home with a different letter of the alphabet, so I took those and turned it into an alphabet book.  Using two other pieces of art made out of construction paper as the front and back covers, an instant book was created.  Bonded together by punching holes along the spine and using some old ribbon from my gift wrapping kit, and it’s like went out a purchased a fancy book right off the shelves from our favorite store.  Woo Wee!  I love the little things.

Aother idea for kids art would be to frame a few and use them as decor in their bedroom, or around the house.

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Great kindergarten prep kit! 

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Kindergarten Edge 18-piece learning kit by Brighter Minds.  Edge Kindergarten 18 Piece Learning Kit includes:10 CDs, 3 wkbks, 3 decks of Instructional cards, 1 wipe clean board and marker (CD-ROM).

http://www.amazon.com/Kindergarten-Piece-Learning-Instructional-marker/dp/1577911970 

Kids and proteins, see what yoplait has to say http://www.yoplait.com/kids_nui_pro.aspx

 

Kids Health, healthy foods and so much more  http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/protein.html

 

Stay Tuned for much more!