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Friday, January 7, 2011

A little Mommy Humor - The best Present Ever

I was searching through my computer for a specific picture, and this always takes much longer then it should because as I am looking for the specific picture, I end up stopping to look at all the pictures and go back to all those memories. It is so surreal how day to day everything seems the same and the changes around are so subtle. Then when you look back it seems like everything happened so fast, and everything is different.

This is especially true when you have a baby who keeps growing up! So as I was looking through the hundreds of pictures I have taken in the last few months I came across one I took of the card my oldest son gave me for my Birthday.

This card is priceless to me, and quite honest one of the best gifts I have ever received in my entire life, it is so honest and innocent, spelling mistakes and all : ) The best part is no one asked him to make it, he had no one telling him how to do it, or what to make. He did this on his own...he wrote from him heart!




I think as mom's these are always the best gifts, the ones no amount of money could ever replace! We all have these kinds of gift's don't we?

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Cheap and Free Birthday Party Ideas


When it comes to birthday parties we are always looking for great ideas that are cheap or free. Really the possibilities are endless and some of the best ideas are ones that have worked for years, such as sleepovers and pin the tail on the donkey. However here are a few idea's that you may not have given any thought, and they can make any birthday party great : )

Minute to win it - this can be a great party idea. It is really inexpensive and it can be the entertainment, games and theme! You can see a list of the games, complete with video's of how they are played and what you will need at NBC. Pick out the ones you will use ahead of time and set up stations. Everyone will have a blast!

Cooking Party - You are planning on feeding your guest's anyways and kids of all ages love creating things, especially with food... so a cooking party makes sense! You can have ingredients to make pizzas available and use Pitas for the crust. Follow that with everyone making their own Ice Cream Sundae's and it will be a great party!


A treasure hunt - Kids love games, so why not make the whole party a treasure hunt. You can make the maps at home on plain paper. You can decide what to hide, or what they must find. It can be things they get to keep, or maybe the winning person or team gets a trophy or something....or even getting cake first as a reward; that's all up to you!


Obstacle Course - This is really cheap and kids have so much fun. Plus it's really fun watching them! Use things from around your home and set up an obstacle course. You can use chairs, to climb under, ropes to jump over, have them jump on 1 foot, crawl...anything you can think of. Make them go in teams or together set your own rules and plan it ahead of time so set up will be easy. Take a break for food and presents and reset and start over!


Winter Outside Party - If it's winter time an outdoor sledding/snowshoe party is always fun. Ask people to bring their own sled and snowshoes and get outside and have some fun. Maybe even have a snowman competition, who can build the fastest or the biggest...you can make teams or individuals. Snowball fights are always lots of fun for older kids, you can have them built snow walls to hide behind and start their own game. Make rules like 3 hits and you're out!


Summer Fun - A beach Party or pool party, its classic and oh so much fun! Kids love being outside. Maybe have a BBQ and let them swim and play in the sand. They won't get bored and if they do it will be time to do presents and cake anyways. You can always spice it up with getting a game going in the water! Don't forget all the water safety rules!

You don't need to spend a lot of money to have a great birthday party. Many of the best parties actually cost nothing or very little money. Kids don't understand about money, all they care about is having fun! So save yourself some money and make some great memories...don't forget to take lots of pictures!

Planning a Birthday Party on a Budget - great tips on how to plan a party on a budget

Ice Cream Cone Cakes - Super cute idea that kids will love!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Planning a Birthday Party on a Budget

All parents want to plan a birthday party to remember, unfortunately in today's economy the cost of that party matters. The good news is you can plan a great birthday party without spending lots of money. This article will outline some tips and suggestions on how to plan a birthday party that you will always remember without spending.

Start Planning Early
This is essential for spending as little money as possible. Many people ask how planning early helps spend less money and the answer it quite simple. The earlier you start the longer you have to shop deal, sales and always find the things you want for super cheap!

Don't limit yourself to local stores
When you shop at all your local stores you usually end up spending more money. If you want to find things cheap, you must shop around! Look into the prices for the things you're looking for from lots of different places. This includes local stores and stores and websites online. Many times you can find things for a fraction of the cost when you purchase them online.

Be Creative
A little creativity can go a long way! Instead of buying all your invitations, why not make them. This can be not only fun, but it will definitely be something you will remember for years to come. You can take some pictures of the process or keep an invitation for in a scrapbook. It will be something really neat to look back on years from now. If your child is old enough they may even want to help and it can be a great bonding experience.

The creativity does not need to stop with invitations, why not attempt making a birthday banner, or making a cake and decorating it too. It may not look perfect but it saves a lot of money, creates a lot of memories and will be one of a kind!

Feeding the Party
If you don't want to spend a lot of money on food, you can always choose not to serve any. If you have the party at hours in between meals then people will not expect to have a meal, and you can just serve cake. If however you want to serve food there are lots of options that cost effective and still yummy. Pizza, kids and adults all love Pizza you can buy it premade or make it for pretty cheap. Hot Dogs or hamburgers, these work especially well in the summer on a grill! Don't forget that you can always leave things like chips, pretzels, watermelon among many other things out for people to snack on.

Check out the Dollar Store
You will find a lot of great party supplies there at a fraction of the cost of department stores. You can find so many things there from napkins, forks and plates of all colors. Loot bag supplies for really cheap and even premade loot bags although they are not the greatest.

Loot Bags
Look for things in bulk that you can split up; for instance a bag of candy and divide it amongst the guests, you can make up little bags using snack or craft bags with candy. Also you may want to consider buying one thing for each child such as a notebook and pencil, or a toy that you find cheap someone maybe even the dollar store. This can help cut down on costs a lot!

You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a great and memorable birthday party. The most important advice I could give is take lots of pictures and enjoy the day, because no matter how much money is spend the memories and pictures will be what's important years from now!

Do you have any tips or suggestions on how to plan a birthday party on a budget?

Ice Cream Cone Cake – A great Birthday Cake Idea and super cute!

Participating is Message Boards and Forums Safely

All of us Mommies need support! We all find it in many different places and ways one being the Internet, and message boards and forums. It gives us a great way to talk to other mommies like ourselves who are going through similar experience's. Many times we are able to receive invaluable advice and give some too.  Some of us are even lucky enough to make great friends.

Message boards and forums are a great place to go for support the problem is not everyone on the message boards you frequent are real people or rather the people you believe them to be. Some are there to steal your information, and your life. Some are there to form friendships with people to later exploit them and take advantage of their services, kindness and in some cases even money.

There is nothing more creepy then finding out someone has been using your pictures or information or pretending to be someone they are not using someone Else's pictures or/and information. Here are some tips to help you spot these fakes, and also how to keep yourself from being the victim of having your pictures and information taken and used elsewhere.


  • Talk with caution - don't assume everyone is real when you are sharing information that you wouldn't want to share with everyone. If it's personal then don't post it on an open message board.

  • Pay attention to all the little things - When someone is a fake and developing a fake life they will eventually slip up. They cant possibly remember all the lies they are telling and eventually they will mess something up unintentionally. If you have been paying attention these little things could send off red flags to you.

  • Watermark Pictures - Sometime's when talking on message boards we want to share pictures from our lives, with are online friends. This is harmless and we shouldn't have to worry about it, but reality is we do. People can take these pictures and claim them as their own, and take your life online. A great way to prevent this is by watermarking your pictures before posting them online. This can be done using free software found online, or many photo editing programs. A quick google search will bring you to lots of resources regarding how to watermark your photos. You could watermark your pictures with the name of the message board you will be posting them on, maybe your screen name; really anyway you want that would stop someone from using the picture. Try to link back to you or where it was taken from in some way. Ex- a user name that when searched will bring people back to you.

  • Protect your Address - Many message boards will have regular member and do gift/card exchanges and things like that. This is a great way to get to know people from all over the place and make a lot of really great friends. You must be careful though because these exchanges require addresses to be used and this can become dangerous. First off, if you don't feel comfortable with it then you shouldn't do it! If you choose to participate then only give your address to someone you feel you know well and trust. Perhaps someone you have been able to validate is real in someway. This could be by phone conversations, video chat, pictures you trust ect.

  • Meet in Public - Sometimes you talk to a person or people so much and you truly feel like you know them, or would like to. So people will decide to meet up and become friends "in real life", this is a personal choice and should only be done if you are comfortable. If this is something you decide you want to do always do it in a public place, never at a house. You should also make sure at least 1 person knows where you are going and who you are going to see. If possible it would be great if you could go with someone else and not by yourself.

If you follow these tips and use your intuition and common sense you will be able to enjoy chatting and meeting new people and finding support on message boards/forums. Keep yourself and your information safe and have fun!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Hot Chocolate Delight (Alcohol Drink)

I personally do not like the taste of alcohol at all, so I never really drink.  However this is absolutely delicious and dangerously good because you cant taste the alcohol at all! It is very quick and easy to make and great to snuggle up with on a cold night, or share with loved ones during the  holidays.



Ingredients
  • Nestle Carnation Rich and Creamy Hot chocolate - Or hot chocolate of choice
  • Baileys Irish Cream - or generic brand
  • Cool Whip whip cream
  • Caramel sauce - or sauce of choice
Directions
  • Add the hot chocolate to your mug, then fill the cup about 3/4 full with boiling water
  • Add 3 shot of Baileys Irish Cream (Yes you can really add that much without tasting it!)
  • Spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of Cool Whip onto your drink
  • Top with Caramel Sauce and Enjoy : )
This can be changed to your preferences and using the amount of alcohol you would want, but try it like this with these ingredients and you wont be disappointed it is delicious!

bounce bounce baby review

Bright Starts Bounce Bounce Baby Activity Zone, NeutralWe bought this for out 4 month old son. We picked it because it was cheaper then other excersaucer toys, and it took up less space. On top of those great things it was designed with a bouncy bottom so our son could jump! I liked this because it eliminated the need for a jolly jumper.




The Bounce Factor

After we brought it home and set it up, I immediately noticed it was very hard for the baby to actually jump. This was one of the main reasons I bought it so I was very disappointed. The cords that attach the bottom jumpy piece to the legs are very stiff and they need a lot of pressure and weight to move them. My son actually was never able to make it jump.

The Toys

After owning it for only a couple days I had a friend over and her son was playing in the bounce bounce baby and he choked on one of the toys. It was a flower the spins with a long rubber like stem. He managed to get the stem piece all the way in his mouth and choke. He was OK and luckily there were a bunch of adults in the room watching him and we caught it right away. It was very scary though.

Another toy we had a problem with was the piano, within 2 weeks of owning it the lights in the piano stopped working all of sudden. Also there was a toy teeter totter with a lion on one side and an elephant on the other side. My son always chewed on this toy and within 3 weeks of owning the bounce bounce baby exersaucer the lions mane was chipping paint.

Customer Service

I had talked to customer service many time. Each time something went wrong with the bounce bounce baby exersaucer I would call them and they would promptly send me out a replacement part, delivered to my door with a few business days. They would also include a coupon for 10% off an online order. The problem is living in Canada I couldn't even order online so the coupon was no good.


On top of that the replacement parts they sent out were the same parts I had a problem with to begin with. After calling for the 4th time and complaining about how many problems I was having we decided to stop using the bounce bounce baby exersaucer and buy a different one.

I would not recommend this product to a friend. Do you have any questions, or anything to add? Did you have a different experience with this product?