Blog Share: Dry-Erase Glass Calendar from Somewhat Simple

I just thought this dry-erase calendar was so cute, affordable, and fairly easy I had to share it with you! This comes from "Somewhat Simple". To see the tutorial on how to make this chic Calendar visit their blog here. I'm so gonna make this!

Trust Me; Your Coffee Maker is Gross

No, but really-it is. The second love of your life may look clean, and smell fabulous, but it's got some dark, dirty little secrets hidden inside. Confession:  I didn't know I needed to clean out the inside of my coffee maker until recently. Why would you need to clean out the inside of something that is constantly flushed with clean water-water that is heated nonetheless? Answer: it's a perfect, cozy, warm, dark breeding ground for bacteria! Yuck. And you drink out of it every day. Yep. True story. Now, in no way am I trying to break up your relationship with your coffee maker. I know for many of us SAHMs that is our life line. I just want to share with you an affordable cleaning solution, so you can go back to trusting your "Joe" in the morning.

Step 1)  Fill up your 12 cup coffee-maker with about 4 cups of white vinegar (if your coffee maker only makes 4-6 cups, do about 2 cups worth)
Step 2) Turn on your coffee maker and let the vinegar cycle all the way through.
Step 3) Once you've brewed yourself a cup of hot vinegar, let everything sit for about 30 minutes.
Step 4) Dump the vinegar and fill up the coffee pot with water. Turn it on and let it cycle through. Do this 2-3 times until the vinegar odor is gone.
Step 5) You're done. Make sure you do this every 2-3 months from here on out.
Voila! Easy as pie.

Wow! Yahoo News: 5 Reasons One Parent Should Stay at Home

Wow! Who knew? Yahoo posted an article today titled "5 Reasons One Parent Should Stay At Home." Take a couple of minutes to read the article. I think it leaves out a few very important things, but all criticism aside, it's quite balanced on the whole. How refreshing! Make sure to read the responses at the end of the article too. There are some really encouraging ones!

Pinterest

You open up your newest issue of Better Homes & Gardens-ok, maybe it's from a couple months back because you're a little behind on your reading, and you see a great recipe idea or maybe a really pretty bedroom color scheme or flower bed arrangement. Snip, snip. You cut out the picture. Your single snippet becomes a small pile. You then take your little collection over to a series of bulletin boards hanging on a wall, placing your new recipe on the "Food" board, the bedroom color scheme on the "Home Decor" board, and so on. Welcome to Pinterest! That's it in a nutshell except that your bulletin boards are in the Pinterest cyberspace world. As you're web browsing you have the ability to "pin" anything you think you might want to take a second look at or keep for inspiration on your designated Pinterest boards. The idea is simple, but very addicting! You can also follow other people or their specific boards-like if you really enjoy their craft ideas, but aren't big on their obsession over Marmosets Board.
It's a nice way to keep your finds organized. You can only join when you receive an invite though which shouldn't be very difficult to find. Pinterest is growing in popularity quickly! You also need to make sure you "install" (very easy) the "Pin it" button in your favorites bar so that you can pin items anytime you want. Lastly, watch out! It's highly addicting to pin items to your boards and browse other Pinterest members' boards for "repins" and "likes". Like I need another excuse to be on the computer! My poor hubby.

Ahhh...Quiet

Don't you just want to be here? I don't know where this is. I just happened to find this picture online, but thought it was lovely and had to share. It's the picture of "quiet". "Quiet? What is that?" you may ask. I know, I know, but hear me out. What I have to tell you is vitally important to your well being as a mom. When I was a little girl, my mother had what was called "Quiet Time" every day (Monday-Friday) between the hours of 2 PM-3PM sharp. Occasionally there were exceptions if there was something out of the ordinary going on, but most often, at 2:00 I was called in for my "quiet time". When my sister and I were younger this was our nap time, but when we were too old for naps, it became reading time for us. We would select a few books to look at and would then be separated and put in separate bedrooms to rest quietly with our books. My mom always took this time to retreat to another section of the house to have some quiet time of her own to read, rest, and just...well, be. At the time being a child, ie. egocentric, I thought this was for our benefit (rest time), but now that I'm a mom with two little crazies of my own, I understand now that this was just as much for her benefit as ours. This was a time for her to regroup, re-energize, and just have some time to herself. As I write this, my little ones are currently having quiet times of their own-naps. I've been letting my 3-year old out of naps lately because for the most part, she doesn't really seem to need one, but today I put her down for some rest time. Even if she doesn't need it, I do! And so, this will be worked back into our daily routine, for mommy's sake. Thank goodness for my mother's wise example. She understood the importance of a little daily peace & quiet. It made her a more patient mommy, and a happier wife my dad came home to. So, even if it doesn't always work out to a full hour-because in kidland, stuff happens, I will continue to make this a priority for my kids and myself. After all, we mommies are human, and sometimes we just need a little quiet. Ahhh. Now, to get myself a cup of tea.

Blog Shout Out!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to take this opportunity to give a shout-out and show some support for Two Kings and Their Little Ladybug, a family who have been in the process of trying to adopt a little girl from China since November of 2007. That is over 3 1/2 years of waiting for this little girl! Their blog has been set up as a fundraising sight to help them bring a new daughter home. With that being said, they are currently doing a raffle for an American Girl Doll giveaway, valued at $100, your choice. If you'd like to donate there is a "Chip in" box on the left hand side or give some support by spreading the word.

Thred Up- Kid's Clothes & Toy Swap

I just wanted to take a minute to give a shout out to "Thred Up", a kid's clothing & toy swap website. We're full-swing into the new clothes shopping season which can be costly. When I was a kid quite a bit of my clothing, ok most, were pre-owned, purchased from kid's consignment shops or hand-me-downs. I never minded one bit. They were all "new" to me! Children outgrow their clothing so fast, that in my kids' world, unless it's something special (ie. an Easter dress or Christmas dress maybe) it's often purchased used. The "Thred Up" idea is simple, yet brilliant (wish I'd come up with it). You select a size, gender, season or type of item in the listings (similar to eBay), pay $5 for the clothing plus $10.95 for a flat rate priority mail shipping box, and voila! You'll have clothing on your door-step for about $1.50 an item of gently used clothing. Parents who list items have feedback scores, so you can make sure you're not buying from a louse. You can also list your child's outgrown gently-used clothing. Items need to be in style as you will receive "style" points from the recipient. Joining and listing are free! So, check them out, and save your money for more important things-like quality time with your babies.