Tuesday's Tip

Today's tip is compliments of my resourceful and ingenious husband.  And, although it may not be terribly exciting, it has saved me a little hassle in the kitchen.

We don't have a garbage disposal, so we don't let food go down the drain in our sink.  However, I hate (HATE) food residue in my sink.  (I like a clean sink...)  So, for me that mean, hoping the food all got caught in the little drain stopper thingy and then picking it up and running it to the trash can, hoping for no drips.  But then one day, I saw Chuck do this...

Instead of cleaning up the food afterward, he uses my small handled colander / strainer.  After scraping most of the food into the trash, he  empties and rinses the bowls and plates over the the colander.  Then, he dumps the entire contents in the garbage.  Such a great idea, I now do it, too.

The result: a clean sink and no yucky clogged drain!

Tuesday's Tip

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year celebrations!  It's always nice to take a break from normal routine and spend some extra time with family and friends.

Post-holidays is a popular time for money-saving (due to the all-too-often over spending done at Christmas).  I've noticed others sharing their penny pinching techniques, so here's one from me:

Quite often, stores print additional information on your receipts - besides your purchase information.  It may be to inform you of future sales or to ask you to participate in a survey or drawing.  I have learned to look closely at these receipts, because some stores offer great coupon discounts on theirs.  Usually, the store asks you to call or visit a website where you will answer questions regarding your visit, but at the end of the survey, you will be given a code which turns that receipt into a coupon.

Payless, Bath & Body Works, and The Children's Place are a few of my favorite stores which offer these types of promotions.  The best part is that, usually, these coupons can be used in conjunction with other store offers (The Children's Place will often allow you to combine several offers for fantastic savings!).  Another favorite, Ikea, prints an actual amount at the bottom of your receipt to be used towards future purchases.  No survey is necessary - just purchase with a debit card, and you will receive back a small percentage.  It's not much, but it adds up and can be combined with others.

Saving money takes some effort, but quite often opportunities are very simple to find.  Just keep your eyes open!

Tuesday's Tip

As a Christian parent, I am aware that educating our children according to our faith is not always easy.  Time is a scarcity for many families.  If you have children of varying ages, it can be hard to find ways to communicate on everyone's level.  And, sometimes, parents aren't even sure where to start.

Over the summer, I came upon the book of Proverbs in my daily reading and, as I made my way through the book, couldn't help but notice how much of the book was easily applicable to children.  The plan that resulted was simple.  I made note of all the verses that I felt could easily be explained and applied to a child and then copied each verse on a 3x5 card.  A hole punch in each corner and a binder ring and I now have a  set of Proverbs for my kids.

I use these in the morning as we wait for the bus.  We drive to the bus stop and often wait for a few minutes.  I read one proverb each morning and let each child comment - then we discuss what it means and how we can apply it to our day.

Consider a "stack of Proverbs" for the new year.  Even if you don't think of yourself as "religious" or very spiritually motivated, consider taking your child through the book of Proverbs.  It is a great introduction to the Bible, and the wisdom found in it is universal.  You just might learn something, too.

Tuesday's Tip

I guess this tip is more of a recipe... but it falls in the "tip" category if you have kids that you are forever trying to feed without using the same old tired food options.

Personally, I refuse to indulge picky eaters.  I married one, and 12 years later, he has learned to not only eat but to enjoy foods that he always said he'd never touch.  And, occasionally, he thanks me for broadening his culinary horizons - and he also agrees that our children's whims regarding taste and texture only sets them up for bigger issues in the future.  So, our kids are learning to eat just about anything.  Yes, they each have their preferences, which we keep in mind (ie, Chloe doesn't like nuts in her food - so we won't make her eat desserts with nuts, but we also don't make extra desserts.  With that in mind, she has discovered that, if she really wants to eat something, the nuts don't bother her that much.  Hmm...)

For all of those reasons, I'm not a big fan of "kid friendly foods" in place of "real food."  I don't make a separate meal for the kids at dinner.  But, when I find a recipe that incorporates a kid-favorite, it makes a nice compromise.

Mac N Cheese Lasagna is one such compromise.

I like this recipe because it's simple.  It uses boxed macaroni and cheese (not my personal favorite, but the kids always think they're getting a treat).  It feels like a real meal.

recipe... for a 9x9 or 8x8 casserole / baker
1 pkg macaroni and cheese (Kraft or otherwise...), prepared according to directions
1 1/2 cu. spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb cooked ground beef
1 cu. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese

Quite simply, you prepare the mac n cheese, brown the beef and mix with the sauce, layer the two ingredients two times (starting w/ a bit of sauce on the bottom of the pan), then top with the cheeses.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through.

For an even more grown-up version, add peppers and onions to your sauce and try using more meat (or sausage!).

Try it... they'll like it :)

Tuesday's Tip

Today, I offer a timely and oh-so-important tip.  This tip was requested a month or so ago when I put out an APB for ideas, and I thought it was a great one.

Gift ideas for teachers...


Now, please believe me when I tell you that my recent return to the classroom has nothing to do with this topic.  Actually, my husband - the other teacher - has fueled this conversation for years.  And every year, we laugh about the gifts that teachers get.

Being a teacher, being married to a teacher, and hanging out with teachers, I've gathered quite a few opinions on what makes a good teacher gift.  And, truthfully, every teacher is different, but there are a few tips that may help.  You may want to consider these as you do your holiday shopping :)

- Just because a teacher has a particular hobby or interest (ie, a sports team, a particular animal) does not mean that they want every object imaginable within that particular theme.  For real.  The worst bit of trivia that ever got into the hands of Chuck's students is the fact that he likes the Steelers.  Along with the hateful banter, he has received every Steelers Christmas ornament that has ever been made.  Seriously.  I finally told him to stop bringing them home - which is why he has a Christmas tree in his classroom that is totally decorated with Steelers ornaments.

- Full time teachers have more than just one classroom full of students.  Even on the elementary level, the students often switch teachers for their various subjects.  So, each teacher could possibly receive gifts from 60 - 100 students.  Yes, this ends up being a fun and incredibly generous out-pouring from students... but it can also be a lot.  Keep your gifts simple!

- Food gifts are nice because they are consumable.  But you don't need to send a large tin of said food item, because, as I mentioned, it can add up to a lot of food.  Small samples are nice, though.

- A framed picture of your child may seem very sweet and sentimental.  But remember - your child is one of many, and each teacher gets a new crop of students every year.  There is only so much shelf space.

- Teacher knick-knacks are fun and oh-so-easy to use as gifts.  They are especially good gifts for first year teachers.  However, those who have been teaching for a while already have a lot of that stuff - just take a look around their classroom!

- Find out what your teacher uses and help replenish their supply.  Does she use felt-tip markers for grading?  Does he use motivational stickers or stamps on papers?  Is she a post-it junkie?  These are great gift ideas that will most definitely be used and will save the teacher money.

- Don't give scented gifts unless you know that it is a scent the teacher likes!  Apple cinnamon candles are an incredibly popular gift for teachers, but I had one on my desk while I was pregnant with Patrick, and - to this day can not stand to be anywhere near one.  Besides, you need to know if your teacher has allergies or gets headaches from strong smells.  By the way, most schools do not allow teachers to burn candles.

- My sister, who is also a teacher, has shared stories of parents who admittedly could not afford a gift but sent her a nice card instead, sharing how much they valued her as their child's teacher.  She says that those cards are worth more than the token gifts that the parents would have given.

- If you really want to purchase a gift that is specific to your teacher, find out what they need / want.  Room moms often collect money for one large class gift and even ask the teacher at the beginning of the year if there is something significant that she is saving for (for the classroom or for herself).

- Consider giving your gift before the class party.  Students' gifts to teachers are always fun and very generous, but it's hard to appreciate them individually when they come all at once.  Chuck has often said he doesn't have time to open them, so he does it at home, but he loves it when the kids bring in gifts the week or two before Christmas.  It helps him to make more of a connection between the child and the gift, and it also spreads out the fun of the holidays just a bit more.

- When in doubt, give a gift card!  I know that people often don't like gift cards because they are impersonal (and because they make it very clear how much you spent...) - but a $5 Dunkin Donuts gift card is sometimes a better gift than the "teacher mug" that cost you $10.  Not to mention, those $5 gift cards can really add up... :)

- That being said, don't be too specific with your gift card unless you know the teacher's tastes (a DD card won't work for a non-coffee drinker).  Target, bookstore, and teacher supply store gift cards are always a hit!

Tuesday's Tip

from here on, i'm thinking "tuesday's tips" may be in name only.  for the record.

this seems to me like a tip that may not need to be shared, but someone once enlightened me with its use, so i am guessing that someone out there may benefit from it.

i hate to find this when i'm cleaning up after a meal.

it happens to all of us - no matter how nonstick a pan is (or was) it just happens.  but, rather than soaking and scrubbing and soaking again, there is an easier way!

add water.  that's it.  just add a little water to your messy pan.

then turn the heat back on.  way on.

as the water  heats up (and starts simmering), use your appropriate utensil to stir up the gunk that has adhered to your pan.  i always use nylon or wood/bamboo to preserve mine...

once all the stuff has been dislodged (it should only take a few seconds), pour the water from your pan, and find this...

you just saved yourself (or your husband or designated child) quite a bit of elbow grease :)

in a nutshell...

i've been meaning to do an update post for awhile... but was too busy living life to actually write about it.  here goes nothing...

this fall has been much more hectic for our household.  we added soccer to our schedule - something new for patrick and chloe.  it has been a lot of fun, but having practice two nights a week plus a mid week church service really filled up our evenings.  saturday morning games have been great, though, and i am very grateful to the family members who have filled in for me or chuck when we weren't available to get somebody somewhere.

on top of soccer, chuck and i attended 3 weddings in a one month span - the third being my youngest sister's.  plotting out babysitting and scheduling to make it all happen was interesting but we made it through, and had a great time at each one.

in addition to back-to-school, soccer season, weddings, and church life, chuck is also in the process of completing his masters.  this semester he is completing 2 grad courses and a practicum.  he will be so glad when it's all over - he is so busy, and consequently, so am i.  we're trying to focus on the end result - no more grad work and a completed masters in educational administration.  yay!

last weekend, on top of halloween / fall party activities, we celebrated chloe's 8th birthday.  she had 17 girls over friday evening for a party (fun - LOUD - but fun...).  in the midst of that 4-party weekend, my cousin called me with a job opportunity at the local Christian school where she works.  although i wasn't looking for a job, i have been thinking about what i'm "going to do" next year when all 4 of my kids are in school.  this particular job completely fit my availability and need for where i am right now - part time (3 afternoons a week) in a Christian school (meaning my current educational status is sufficient) located 7 minutes from my house (so i am still accessible to my children should they need me).  and, although, tucker is still home, several friends and family members have been incredibly gracious to "hang out" with him in the afternoons that i work.

so, that's it.  i signed my contract yesterday and i start teaching this afternoon.  here we go...