The Chatter

Happy July 4th everyone!  I can’t believe it is pouring here!  The kids are supposed to be in a Parade today at 1 PM.  However, it is pouring rain!  I am hoping it clears, because the rain date is tomorrow and the forecast is worse!

Hopefully, it is sunny and beautiful and you will have clear skies throughout the day!  Enjoy the fireworks tonight!  Be safe and have a great day!

So its official.  Disney is closing Pleasure Island!  I have very mixed feelings about this place.  Years ago, I loved it, it was a must do for every trip!  However, on our most recent trip, the night that we went it was empty!

Pleasure Island is definitely meant to have a crowd.  It was disappointing after getting there and having stayed.  We all said we should have gone to the Boardwalk.   However, after talking with the people in the bars, it seemed that this is more on the lines of how it has become.

For us, we traveled with our family, there was 14 of us, so luckily my dad offered to babysit all the kids for a night.  However, on our next trip, it is just the 4 of us.  I have already started to price out babysitting and it is going to cost around $100. for the night.  So for the typical family, to spend $100. for a sitter, $25 per person to get in and then the costs of drinks for the night, I guess it has lost its appeal!  Especially when you can go to the boardwalk with the kids, without the babysitter, for free and have a drink without spending hundreds of dollars!

Quick, easy, healthy and inexpensive, especially if you have your own garden!  My kids love this, I love the fact that it is so healthy and preservative free!  It is much better than the store bought version!
Tomatoes

Peppers (any color)

Red Onion

Cucumber

Garlic

Lime (for juice)

Cilantro

Salt

Dice all ingredients and combine.  Squeeze the fresh lime and add cilantro and salt to taste.  Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Be creative, substitute or add, eggplant or zucchini, if you have it!

Enjoy!

If you are ever doing a repair project and it seems your hands are too big to hold the screw in place until it gets started threading….I have an easy tip for you.  All you need is some scotch tape.  Gently place the tape over the hole where the screw goes.  Push the screw in hard enough to puncture the tape.  This will help steady it while you screw it in.  Remove the tape and your’re done!

Impress your guests at your next party, it makes for a pretty presentation.  Serve it in a glass or clear plastic pitcher.  It may sound strange, but it is actually delicious!

1/2 Gallon Lemon-Aid, it can be store bought, frozen or homemade.

2 Pints Fresh Strawberries

12 Fresh Basil Leaves

Prepare the Lemon-Aid in the serving pitcher.  Slice the strawberries and place in pitcher.  Split Basil leaves in two and add to pitcher.

Allow the Lemon-Aid to sit, refrigerated at least 3 hours before serving.  The longer it sits the better the flavors mix.

For an alcoholic version, add Vodka.

Do you have extra money for your own makeup?  With gas prices around $4 and threatening to go higher, the rise in groceries at the market and just life in general, there is probably a little left at the end of the day and I bet it is not going toward makeup.

However, this may change that!  A friend of mine told me about ELF.com.  A makeup site where most things are around $1.  At first, I didn’t believe her, I went to the site and saw it for myself, however, I let her order it.  If it was a scam, she found the site, so she can be the one to get scammed, just kidding.  Anyway, she order, the products came, no scamming involved and she loved it.  So, I placed my order, samething!

Even with coupons you can not compare to these prices.  And in a time when everyone is tightening their belts, this could be a lifesaver to all the women out there!

My kids are beyond the first birthday, however, I would like to share the idea of a Smash Cake with all of you.  Some people have heard of this, others have not.  In my house, between our family and friends half have, half not.  However, all love it, when it is all said and done!

For each of my kids first birthdays, I buy a smash cake in addition to their regular birthday cake.  Some bakeries offer them, if not all you need it a 6″ or 8″ cake.  When we sing Happy Birthday, I put the smash cake in front of the kid with the candle in it.  Let them attempt to blow out the candle, remove the candle and then give the child the whole cake!  It is theirs to destroy, eat, play with, just make a mess with!  It makes for great pictures and videos.  People still talk about it, til this day!

Mom’s Rule of a Smash Cake (this is a mess)!  Remove all clothes, except a diaper!  Icing, especially red and blue can stain clothing!  Place plastic under the high chair or under the child if they are on the ground.  This will help clean up the mess.  After the child is done, excuse yourself and put them right in the tub!  This is the only way to attempt to clean them up!

Be sure to take plenty of pictures and have fun!  I hope this helps make someone’s little darlings first birthday extra special.  I know it has made wonderful memories for us!  Enjoy!

So, it is 8 AM, the family is still sleeping and it is Father’s Day morning.  I don’t know why I am stressing, but I feel like I haven’t done enough for Father’s Day.  I bought cards, gifts (both a nice one from me and one that the kids picked out).  I have the breakfast food ready and bought steak and seafood for dinner.  However, I feel like something is missing.  I have given Dad the opportunity to choose what to do today, but for some reason, it still feels like it is not enough.

In our busy, ok crazy life, I feel that buying a couple of presents and cooking breakfast and dinner, just isn’t enough!  I feels too routine to me.   How do you really thank the father of your children, the man that goes to work everyday to support our family, the guy who is building us a new home and still has time at the end of the day to help get the kids to bed and then watch tv with me!  I hope as the day goes on, something comes to me and I find something extra special to do for him!

In the meantime, for all the Dads out there, enjoy  your day!  Sit back, relax and spend time with your family!  Have a great one!

My 4 year old daughter has developed an allergy to sunscreen!  It began about 2 years ago, after a day of outside play with sunscreen on, she was covered in hives.  Of course, it was a Saturday.  I called the doctor, he suggested an Aveeno bath and benadryl.  It help, however, the hives lasted close to a week.  After a visit to the doctor and checking the sunscreen, they believed that it was the Paba in the sunscreen that she was reacting to.   Paba free sunscreen it is!

Fastforward as few months, using the Paba free sunscreen, she reacts again!  I can’t believe it, back to the doctors, Aveeno baths and a kid that sleeps all day from the benadryl and is up all night!  I start to panic thinking she can never go outside again!

Then I discover Anthelios!   Anthelios, the 15 is now carried in CVS, higher protection levels are available in Medi-Spas.  It has been two summers and not one reaction.  Thank Goodness!

It is amazing to me that people don’t realize this product is available.  It has been called the “perfect sunscreen” and people are not allergic to it!  Although it is more expensive than regular sunscreen, it is worth every penny, if you have allergies!

If you have changed out your doorknobs to a new finish then you will need to change the hinges to match.  It’s really not that hard to do.

You will need:

-3 hinges and sets of screws

-Philips screwdriver

-Large plastic baggie for parts

-Step ladder

Take any price stickers off of the hinges before you put them on.  I found this out the hard way and am still picking stickers off.

Start with the middle hinge.  It should be very easy to switch out.  Pay attention which direction the old hinge was on and put the new one on the same way.  Just unscrew the screws and line up the hinge.  Attach it using the screws and screw driver.

Next do the top hinge.  It is a little trickier because the weight of the door pulls it out a bit.  Working with the center screw first, hold the door so the hinge is lying in it’s proper place.  Attach the center screw first and then the top and bottom screws.

The bottom hinge works the same way except you do the center, then bottom and then top screw.

Place all your parts in the plastic bag.  These can also be sold at a yard sale or donated to charity.

Now you have a new, inexpensive updated look to your doors!

~Mom will take care of it