Feel Good Friday! Smile, You're Amazing!

It is a Friday and a day to feel oh so good about yourself! I found this article in Woman's Day magazine, September 2010 issue.

You rock. Seriously.
You look great!
Let the world see your beautiful smile!
Be who you are and say what you feel.
Fabulous + Beautiful x Amazing = You!
You are a work of art!
You matter to me!
You deserve to be happy :)

"Smile, You're Amazing"

Imagine opening a menu and seeing that phrase written on Post-it note inside. Or seeing "You are beautiful at any size" tacked to a dressing room mirror. Operation Beautiful founder Caitlin Boyle hopes that just might happen sometime soon. Her project encourages women to put Post-its with uplifting body image messages in random places (such as inside bathroom stalls and on the covers of library books). "We need to replace 'fat talk' with positive exchanges," says Robyn Silverman, PhD, body image expert and adolescent development specialist in New Jersey. To participate, go to operation beautiful.com or pick up Boyle's new book, Operation Beautiful.

Think Thursday! Fallen Heroes

Seems like everywhere you look there is something going on with a celebrity. Who is on drugs, who committed suicide, who is sleeping with who, etc...I found this article under the 7-9 years section of Ages & Stages in Parenting magazine, August 2010 issue. This may shed a little light on how to give an explanation to our kids who ask questions about their favorite stars.

Fallen Heroes

Sports stars, pop singers, movie and TV actors--the list of celebrity idols caught up in scandal seems to get longer every day. You can't hide the headlines anymore, but explaining infidelity or drug use at this age can be tricky. What to know.

Assess his knowledge: "Kids this age are starting to piece together information they get from friends and the Internet," explains Kristen Eastman, Psy.D., a child psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic. As a result, your child may have only a vague idea about Tiger's transgressions or Lilo's antics, so probe a little: "What did you hear about the baseball steroids scandal? Do you know what steroids do?"

Be straightforward: Try not to shirk his questions (or tell him to ask his father): instead, correct any misconceptions, while keeping things age-appropriate. For example, an 8-year-old is probably not prepared to hear what infidelity is, so you might say "It's when someone who's married falls in love with another person."

Seize the moment: Your child may be sad or even mad about what a beloved star has done. "Talking about this kind of public downfall gives you a chance to add your own family values into the mix," says Eastman. Whether to judge other people, give a second chance, or accept an apology for mistakes are topics that open the door to discussing fairness, generosity, and honesty.

Wellness Wednesday! The Exercise Cure

Ever just feel blah over random things in your life? I found this small article in Parenting magazine that will help cure those here and there emotions.

The Exercise Cure

It's well known that exercise boosts the production of feel-good chemicals in your body called endorphins, but you can reap even more benefits by choosing the workout that can best "treat" your negative emotion, says Karol Ward, psychotherapist and author of Worried Sick.

If you're angry that your neighbor had the nerve to complain about your messy lawn, try kickboxing or a game of tennis. The physical act of hitting something will help you release energy and hostility.

If you're worried about your child starting a new school and can't stop ruminating over every little thing that might happen, try yoga or ballet. The slow, meditative movements help calm your mind.

If you feel powerless after losing your job, try strength or resistance training. Studies show that as you increase your physical strength, your confidence gets a lift as well.

Tips Tuesday! It Worked For Me!

I found this random section of tips in the February 2010 issue of Parents magazine.

Work of Art: Have a child who loves to finger paint, but are overwhelmed on how to display the artwork? Decoupage your favorite paintings onto a four-foot canvas and hang it up in your living room for all to enjoy :)

In the Bag: To make packing the diaper bag easier, attach a luggage tag to the strap and insert a list of necessary items. It serves a great checklist before you head out!

Rest Stop: Using public restrooms can scare some kids due to the auto-flush toilets triggering before they are done. Stick one sheet of a self-stick note pad over the sensor before they get on the potty to keep it from flushing early.

Better Bandages: Licensed character bandages can be expensive so draw your own shapes and scenes on plain ones. Your kids may like them even more and it is a great way to distract them from their boo-boo!

Smart Cookie: Play-Doh is a great "kid's favorite" thing to play with, but preventing it from falling on the floor is often a problem. Give your child a metal cookie tray to build their Play-Doh projects on and the high edges keep everything contained.

Color Scheme: Do your kids enjoy coloring while eating out? Keep a few crayons in a travel soap dish in your diaper bag just in case the restaurant doesn't have any on hand.

Made for Shade: Instead of tossing the beautiful bumper that came with your child's bedding set, repurpose it as a matching valance if you have a window in the nursery. All you need to do is remove the stuffing.

Money Saving Monday! 33 Ways to Get a Great Deal!

I found this article, 33 ways to get a great deal, in Better Homes and Gardens July 2010 issue. I will be doing this one over a 3 week span. Here are the first 10 :)

We love a sale!

1. Get to know a clerk who can tell you when merchandise goes on clearance so you can mark your calendar.

2. When does it go on sale?

Appliances: Holiday Weekends
Cameras & Camcorders: February, March
Carpet & Flooring: January
China and Flatware: March, September
Computers: August, December
Cookware: May, June, December
Dining Furniture: October, November
Electronics: Spring and early summer, also Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Furniture: January, July, holiday weekends.
Holiday Decor: Day after the holiday
Linens: January
Mattresses: May through August
Paint: Summer
Patio Furniture: After Labor Day
Plants, Trees, and Shrubs: Fall
Small Appliances: December
Snow blowers: April
Televisions: Early spring, also six to 12 months after a particular model is launched
Vacuum Cleaners: April, May

3. Many online retailers offer a deal of the day, usually in limited quantities. Check dodtracker.com for a listing of daily deals from around the Internet.

4. The longer an electronics product is on the market, the better your chance of finding it on sale. Check the date the first review appeared (search for "review" and the product name) or its "first available" date on amazon.com. If the model you're looking at was introduced more than six months ago, you can probably find it on sale.

We love the web!

5. Private, invitation-only online sales are the latest thing. For example, become a member at onekingslane.com (it's free) and you could score high-end home decor items for up to 70% off retail prices. On Saturdays, check out their designer-curated online tag sales.

6. ShopGoodwill.com is like eBay only more addicting. It features a huge selection of artwork, decor items, and housewares for just a few bucks.

7. Find the best price using a shopping aggregator site like Flit.com that does the work of comparison shopping for you. It samples prices at several different e-commerce sites and lead you to the best buy.

8. Search online liquidators such as nobetterdeal.com--a site that sells returns and overstock from big retailers.

9. Make your purchase through ebates.com to get cash back from more than 1,200 top retailers. Most stores offer between 2% and 7%, some more.

10. Become a Facebook fan or Twitter follower of your favorite stores and brands. Many of them announce exclusive offers this way.

Something you may not know Sunday! Your Curious Kid

I, for one have hundreds of questions asked of me all day everyday! It is enough to drive someone mad!! I found this article in the 5 to 6 years "Ages & Stages" section of parenting magazine, May 2010 issue.

Your Curious Kid

All those questions may try your patience, but they'll make your child smarter. "Curiosity is the driving force of intellect," notes Pam Schiller, author of Seven Skills for School Success. Kids' brains thrive on new experiences and activities, so shake things up with these ideas:

Break with tradition: Turn things upside down every so often: Have cereal for dinner or pizza for breakfast. Introducing novelty into your child's routine gives you a jumping-off point for conversation--does he know people eat miso soup and fish for breakfast in Japan?--and shows him there's more than one way to do things, says Schiller.

Change the Scene: Rearrange the toys in her room or the dolls on her bed, and then discuss the difference. Does it look better now? Is it less cluttered? Does this arrangement seem more inviting?

Rewrite the book: Mix up the characters and the scenery in the stories you read. Add a dragon to "Jack and the Beanstalk," for example. Ask "what if" and other open-ended questions, like "What if the wolf in 'Little Red Riding Hood' wasn't hungry? How would the tale be different?"

Make it kid-friendly: Create a special space--in his bedroom, the den, or the basement--where anything goes (finger painting, fort building, pillow fighting) and exploration is encouraged.


Ask away: Show her that you're curious about her interests by asking her to explain the difference between Ariel and Snow White, say, and getting just as excited about the dead beetle she found as she is (okay, you may have to fake it).

Swap a Recipe Saturday! Cheesy Baked Ziti

I found this yummy looking recipe on familyfun.com. Check it out!

Every time I make this recipe, I am pleasantly surprised since the results far exceed the effort. This casserole is perfect for a simple family meal, but also hearty enough to serve guests. This is fast comfort food that is sure to please everyone at your table. Tip: Just add a tossed salad for a complete meal in a snap. Also, leftovers will freeze well. Serves: 6 Preparation Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 pound dried ziti
15 or 16 ounces ricotta cheese (part skim)
3 cups (or 12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups (or a 26-ounce jar) spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the ziti. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes, drain the pasta.

Place the ziti in a large bowl. Mix with the ricotta and half of the mozzarella. Grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Spread half of the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add the ziti mixture and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining mozzarella.

Bake uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the casserole bubbles on the edges.