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Monday, October 31, 2011

Menu Monday Potato Pierogi


Potato Pierogi

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds red potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
6 ounces mild cheddar cheese
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/4 corn oil

Cooking Instructions:
Boil the potatoes until well done, drain and mash with butter. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the onions and bacon together. Reserve 1/2 cup of mixture for spooning over the cooked pierogi. Add the remaining bacon and onions to the potatoes. Stir the cheese into the potato mixture. Mix well. Chill until very cold. Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Make a well in the middle. Pour water and oil into the well. Mix together. Add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time until dough is firm. Knead dough until mixture does not stick to hands. Cover tightly and let stand for 1/2 hour in a warm place. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut in 2-inch diameter circles. Add 1 teaspoon filling, fold over 1 half of circle and press the edges together to seal. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon oil, then add pierogi. Stir occasionally to pierogi won't stick to the bottom. When perogi rise to the top, add 1 cup cold water to stop the cooking. Remove the perogi with a slotted spoon. Perogi will cook in 3 to 4 minutes. Serve topped with reserved onion-bacon mixture.

Recipe submitted by "Sarah" to The Mommies Network recipe database.
Friday, October 28, 2011

5 Uses for Vinegar


Do you want to know how to use up that white vinegar you bought to color eggs with this year?  Here are some ways to use it around the house as a cleaner, disinfectant, odor remover, blemish treatment, stain remover, and fabric softener.  There are many other ways you can use vinegar as well but these are a few ways that Traci (izzysmom7) and her family use vinegar around their house.

1.  As a cleaner/disinfectant: Do you want to freshen up the water lines in your coffee maker?  Run a cup of vinegar and two cups of water through the maker.  If the maker hasn't been used in awhile run a few cups of vinegar through, discard, and then run a few cups of water through.  Make a solution of vinegar and water and use it to clean your counter tops, floors, or any surfaces you need to disinfect.  My family and I use full strength vinegar to remove hard water and lime stains in the showers/bathrooms. 

2.  Odor Remover:  Ever come across an odor in a room of your house and not been able to remove it with the typical household odor sprays?  Place some apple cider vinegar in a bowl in the room and in a few days the room will be fresh and clean smelling again.  My daughter and husband often have allergic reactions to candles and sprays, this has been a great alternative for them.  If you want something to use the apple cider vinegar for when you are not removing odors, ask me to share my pulled pork BBQ recipe with you.

3.  Blemish Treatment:  Do you have a teenager or do you yourself suffer from acne?  Nothing is worse than waking up in the morning before you start your day to find a blemish staring back at you in the mirror.  When I was in college a friend told me to try placing some vinegar in a bowl, then use a cotton swab to add it to the blemishes.  I let it sit for thirty minutes and then rinsed with lukewarm water.  No blemish treatment will instantly remove our unwanted blemishes, but this method is a green way to help treat them.  I suffer from dry skin so I recommend applying a good moisturizer after the vinegar treatment if you do as well.

4. Stain Remover:  How many of your little ones love to stain their clothes with some of those impossible stains?  My child prides herself in finding those impossible stains.  While I do have stain removers in my house, one day I had more stains than remover.  I went to the web to see if there was something I had around the house to help with a pizza sauce stain.  I found  out that vinegar and baking soda would do the trick.  It will smell strong as the baking soda and vinegar bubbles and fizzes but it will remove your stain.  Wash your clothes after each treatment the same way you would if you used a store bought cleaner.  Extra Tip:  If it is a stubborn stain that the above treatment will not remove, place your stained garment(s) out in the sun.  The great outdoors will not only give your clothes a fresh smell but the sun will act as a bleach, helping to remove your stains.

5.  Fabric Softener:  Use 1 to 2 ounces of vinegar in the rinse cycle while doing laundry.  It will help remove the soap residue and soften your clothes.  You could also place the vinegar in a softener ball as well.  Extra Tip: Do you use dryer fabric softener sheets and wonder how to remove the residue they create over time on your dryer lint trap?  All you need is some vinegar (more or less depending on the last time you cleaned the trap), water, a scrubbing pad and some elbow grease (may need to scrub harder if you haven't cleaned the trap in a bit).  You will the know the trap is clean once the water no longer clings to the top of the trap and flows through it.   

Submitted by Traci from NorthMetroDCMommies.  Originally posted to the NorthMetroDC Blog.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Relaxation Therapy


Are you a mom that makes regular me-time for herself? Do you take breaks to breathe deeply, forget about your cares and indulge yourself in a favorite activity? I know I am not. There are only so many hours in the day, and some things just have higher priority than me taking breaks, this has been my excuse. However, once in a while something happens that reminds me how important it is to make time to take care of my own well-being. This is going to be a long-winded post about one of those times

I still remember telling a colleague at work about 5 years ago how good my immune system must be because I rarely get sick. One cold in three years kind of rare. My colleague smiled astutely and shook his head, then remarked that that was about to change very soon. "Wait till your kid is a little older." Back then my first child N was only a few months old and had not even started daycare. N was being taken care of at home by my mom while I went at work. He hadn't had a single cold or stomach bug yet. But all that changed as soon as he started daycare. My colleague, who had two older children of his own, could not have been more correct. Every couple of weeks, N would get sick with whatever was the latest bug going around at his daycare. And most of the time, I would get sick too. It seemed like at least one person in our home was sick at any given time. Apparently my immune system was not all that superior after all.

After the birth of my second child A, our financial situation finally afforded me the luxury of taking a few years off to spend time at home with the children. Boy, was I in for some surprises with being a full-time mother at home! Sometimes I miss the drive to work - a time when I do not have to do anything for anyone and can just listen to the radio or my music. Sometimes I miss wearing clothes that have no tell-tale stains on them. Sometimes I miss going to the bathroom all by myself, like I used to at work; no one yelling through the door or, worse still, standing next to me and chattering away as though they haven't noticed I'm sitting on the toilet. But what I do not miss at all are the slew of colds, ear infections, stomach bugs, etc. Sure there are challenges in motherhood. But I find myself so much better able to meet those challenges and enjoy motherhood when I am not sick all the time.

It felt like a painful flashback when recently little A and I came down with a stomach bug. Right on cue, N and hubby came down with colds at that time. As if this were not fun enough, we played relay and right after recovering from our respective stomach bugs, A and I contracted colds, mine much worse than hers. And at the same time, N and hubby who had just recovered from their colds, came down with - you guessed right - stomach bugs! It was a miserable two weeks and horror of horrors, it all happened right before our weeklong vacation, which we had planned quite some time ago. Things were not looking good and we even considered canceling or postponing our vacation plans. Miraculously, though, with 2 days to spare, all the stomach bugs were finally gone. As long as nobody was throwing up all the time or sitting in the loo frequently, we could still drive down to Myrtle Beach. I totally ignored that I still had a terrible cold and went anyway.

I am one of those people that believe in giving my body the right nutrition to heal itself. When I go grocery shopping, 80% of my cart is filled with produce. The checkout clerks at my local Kroger joke about how I put their produce recognition skills to the test. So I was not hoping for a speedy recovery, what with a week of eating out. The air-conditioning on the drive to Myrtle Beach wasn't helping my sinuses either. My only hope was that the kids would be sufficiently busy and happy with minimal effort on my part. I would be able to curl up under the covers and do nothing.

Once at our destination, I quickly got rid of everyone...packing them off to the beach. But instead of lying down, I sat on the balcony, watching the waves inhaling the ocean air. (Besides, we had paid quite a premium for staying oceanfront and being the practical person I am, I wasn't going to let that go to waste.) It had been raining earlier and it was still cloudy. As I sat and watched wave after wave hitting the shore, the clouds began to clear and the sun came out. My sick and miserable feelings also began to clear away and I felt really happy and invigorated. I changed into my swimsuit, slathered on sunscreen and strolled down to the beach. The tide was coming in and there was a long stretch of shallow water. I could see people standing waist-deep close to the line where the waves crested with white foam. I waded in, only ankle deep at first, digging my feet in and feeling the sand wash away from between my toes with each receding wave. The water was quite warm. It felt so good and so refreshing. The kids were hanging out here, under hubby's supervision. So I walked further in, rocking and bouncing with each wave. Looking out at the expanse of sky and water stretching all the way to the horizon, all my day-to-day concerns - the constant battle against the clutter of toys, why A was still not fully potty-trained at three, where I was going to find the perfect daycare, mother-in-law's impending visit - ceased to be. In the grander scheme of things, none of it mattered. The toys would get picked up, or not. The dishes would get cleaned, or stay piled in the sink for another day. A would eventually get potty-trained, at three or at three-and-a-half. The sky would still be blue, the waves would still roll and foam and crash onto the shore, the tide would still rise and ebb with the moon. My mind was completely blank, free of all worries. And I felt truly relaxed. I do not know how long I stayed in the ocean. I got out only when I started feeling hungry. And wonder of wonders, my miserable cold seemed to be gone! It was going to be a great vacation, I could tell.

I want to model for my children the things I want them to learn. One of the most important of those things is to live healthy. After all, that is one reason why I am staying home with them for a few years, isn't it? Relaxation, both physical and mental, is a very big part of a healthy life. One I have often ignored. I resolve to try and do more of it. For myself, and for my children.

Submitted by Swaha, member of TriangleMommies.  Originally published on the TriangleMommies Blog August 8, 2011.
Monday, October 24, 2011

Menu Monday - Healthy Morning Muffins

Healthy Morning Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
4 medium carrots, shredded
1 medium ripe banana, mashed


Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt until there are no more lumps. Stir in oats and raisins. Add oil, egg, milk, carrots and banana and stir until blended.

Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 23-25 minutes.


Serving Suggestions:
Serve warm or at room temperature. To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 3 days.


Submitted to The Mommies Network recipe database by "Betsy"
Friday, October 21, 2011

Lunches to Go: Keeping It Interesting

Hi ho, hi ho, it’s back to work I go!

That’s right, I recently returned to the work force after being a stay at home mom for the past six years. And you know what I learned? (Well besides the fact that moms on the clock deserve a lot of props!) Eating out every day is expensive!!

I was coming up with every excuse not to pack my lunch each morning. It took too much time…that extra fifteen minutes of sleep would really help later in the day. We didn’t have the right food in the house. I couldn’t bear the thought of another turkey sandwich. I don't want those leftovers. I was running late. I was out of sandwich baggies. I didn’t have the right “lunchbox.” (Yes, I actually used that one.)

And then I sat down and calculated how much I was spending each week: $25-35. Just on lunch for one person! And I only work four days a week. That means I would average $120 a month on my work lunches…more than I budget for an entire week’s worth of groceries and household items for my family of four. Surely, there must be another way.

So I decided to put myself to the test. I sat down and made a list of all the things I could pack in my brand new reusable lunch bag. (Yes, I actually bought a new one.) They are all things I can either make up ahead of time or put together quickly in the morning. I realized that not only did I spend literally a fraction of the cost, the lunches were enjoyable and I felt so much better eating real food instead of restaurant/fast food stuff every day. I’m sure I saved some calories too. Bonus!

Just in case there are others struggling with this dilemma, I wanted to share the little method I came up with. Not because I think it’s ingenious or anything, but because I know every penny saved in this economy is helpful. And sometimes it’s a heck of a lot easier to start when someone gives you a jumping off point to get you going.

First, I divided my list into three categories; breads, fillings, and sides. Next, I quickly jotted down my favorites for each one. Now all I have to do is choose one or two items from each category and add that to my weekly shopping list. Yours might be a bit different than mine, depending on what you like. But having a variety of your favorites will help your bagged lunch seem anything but boring!

Breads:
-Multi-grain (I love the kind with little seeds or oatmeal on top)
-Whole wheat
-Bagels (plain, whole wheat, everything, etc)
-Pita
-Wraps
-Sandwich thins
-Hard rolls
-Croissants

Filling:
-Tuna salad
-Deli meat
-Tomato slices with mayo
-Egg salad
-Chicken salad
-Veggies with hummus
-Bacon, lettuce, tomato
-Grilled chicken
-Peanut butter and banana
-Peanut butter and jelly
-Peanut butter and honey

Sides:
-Small salad
-Cup of soup
-Fruit
-Cucumber slices
-Baby carrots
-Pretzels
-Frozen grapes
-Yogurt
-Cottage cheese
-A pickle
-String cheese
-Crackers
-Cheddar cheese cubes
-Grape tomatoes
-Granola bars

You get the idea! Really, the list could go on and on. But separating it like this made it so simple!! I had everything I needed each morning, it was faster to assemble than I expected, and it provided me with enough variety that I haven't felt bored at all.

Got some of your own yummy ideas for “brown baggers” like me?? I’d love to hear them!!

Post submitted by Heather from UnionCountyMommies.com
Wednesday, October 19, 2011

How To Cope With "Stay at Home Burnout"

Being an at home parent may be the best job you'll ever get, but it's HARD. You're on call 24/7, and when you go on vacation, you still have the same responsibilities. And if you have a home business or work at home job, life can be even more challenging.

The first step to coping with burnout is preventing it in the first place. Don't overfill your schedule with activities for the kids or yourself. Take a little time for yourself every day. You don't need to be alone, but you do need to relax a little. Whether this may be during the kids' naps or when they're in school, even taking just a few minutes for you can really help. Then you can take advantage of the time to get things done with a clear head.

Make sure your expectations and those of your family are realistic. If you're running a home business or have a work at home job, you can't be expected to keep as perfect a house as a mother who does not. Pick a day to do the laundry, the vacuuming and other housework that doesn't need to be done on a daily basis and leave it until then - unless the urgent need arises, of course.

When you get angry, don't consider yourself an imperfect or bad parent. We all get angry sometimes. What is more important is how you react to the anger.

Make sure you get enough sleep. The more tired you are, the more stress you are going to feel, and the harder it will be to cope with it. If necessary, take a nap at the same time as the kids do, so they're not getting into trouble for lack of supervision.

Plan fun activities once in a while to relieve stress. Depending on your needs and the needs of your family, this can be alone or with the entire family. Go to the beach, a park, zoo, mall, wherever it is you can relax and just have fun.

Consider planning or even cooking meals and snacks in advance. It's easy to give your children healthy snacks if you have sliced vegetables and/or fruits ready to go in the fridge. A few minutes' work early in the week can save you time. Meals may also be prepared in advance and frozen for those nights when you're simply too tired to cook. Plan your meals for leftovers that will freeze well, and say goodbye to expensive frozen dinners from the grocery store.

If writing out your schedule helps you, then keep a written schedule. If it makes you feel overwhelmed, then don't. Just because your best friend says it keeps her on schedule to have a calendar with everything she needs to do on it doesn't mean the same will work for you.

Finally, don't let other parents make you feel you owe them favors just because you're at home and “have time. You're doing a full time job taking care of your family, not just loafing. Your schedule may be just as full as theirs, if not more so.

Originally posted on StatesvilleMommies.blogspot.com
Monday, October 17, 2011

Menu Monday - Crab Filled Wontons


Crab Filled Wontons

Ingredients:
6 ozs crabmeat, minced
6 ozs softened cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder   
40 wonton skins
1 slightly beaten egg
Vegetable oil

Cooking Instructions:
1. Place a heaping teaspoonful of crabmeat mixture in the center of one wonton skin. Cover remaining skins with damp towel to keep them pliable.

2. Top with another wonton skin and press edges to seal. Brush dab of egg on center of both sides of puff.

3. Use fingers to pleat each edge, pressing to seal. Repeat with remaining wonton skins. Cover puffs with damp towel or plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

4. Heat 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil in wok to 350 degrees F. Fry 4 or 5 puffs at a time until golden brown, turning 2 or 3 times, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towel.

Submitted by a member to The Mommies Network recipe database.
Friday, October 14, 2011

A Fun and Safe Halloween



Halloween has always been a favorite of mine. I don't know if it was the candy, the dressing up, the neighborhood involvement, or the general feeling of happiness that everyone, old and young, felt. I think I went trick-or-treating longer then any of my friends and was always the one trying to talk my other 18-year-old friends into going with me. If I wasn't trick-or-treating, I was throwing a Halloween party. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was going to celebrate one way or another. I love Halloween so much; I even brought my oldest child trick-or-treating three days after giving birth to her younger sister. Nothing was going to keep me from sharing with her something that I grew up to love so much.

Unfortunately, times have changed since I was a young child walking the streets for candy and fun. Special care must be taken to be sure the excitement of Halloween doesn't turn into disaster.

The National Safety Council offers some great advise for parents and children to be sure to enjoy the special night safely. "There is no "trick" to making Halloween a real treat for the entire family." Before planning your night of fun, check to see if your community has an assigned time for trick-or-treating and go over these safety tips as they pertain to your children

Halloween Safety Tips from the NSC

Both children and adults need to think about safety on this annual day of make-believe.

MOTORISTS
The National Safety Council urges motorists to be especially alert on Halloween.
* Watch for children darting out from between parked cars
• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
• At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.

PARENTS
Before children start out on their "trick or treat" rounds, parents should:
• Make sure that an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising the outing for children under age 12.
• Plan and discuss the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow. Know the names of older children's companions.
• Instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route.
• Teach your children to stop only at houses or apartment buildings that are well lit and never to enter a stranger's home.
• Establish a return time.
• Tell your youngsters not to eat any treat until they return home.
• Review all appropriate trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian/traffic safety rules.
• Pin a slip of paper with the child's name, address and phone number inside a pocket in case the youngster gets separated from the group.

COSTUME DESIGN
• Only fire-retardant materials should be used for costumes.
• Costumes should be loose so warm clothes can be worn underneath.
• Costumes should not be so long that they are a tripping hazard. (Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injuries on Halloween.)
• If children are allowed out after dark, outfits should be made with light colored materials. Strips of retro reflective tape should be used to make children visible.

                                                     FACE DESIGN
• Masks can obstruct a child's vision. Use facial make-up instead.
• When buying special Halloween makeup, check for packages containing ingredients that are labeled "Made with U.S. Approved Color Additives," "Laboratory Tested," Meets Federal Standards for Cosmetics," or "Non-Toxic." Follow manufacturer's instruction for application.
• If masks are worn, they should have nose and mouth openings and large eyeholes.

ACCESSORIES
• Knives, swords and other accessories should be made from cardboard or flexible materials. Do not allow children to carry sharp objects.
• Bags or sacks carried by youngsters should be light-colored or trimmed with retro-reflective tape if children are allowed out after dark.
• Carrying flashlights will help children see better and be seen more clearly.

ON THE WAY
Children should understand and follow these rules:
• Do not enter homes or apartments without adult supervision.
• Walk, do not run, from house to house. Do not cross yards and lawns where unseen objects or the uneven terrain can present tripping hazards
• Walk on sidewalks, not in the street.
• Walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic if there are no sidewalks.

TREATS
To ensure a safe trick-or-treat outing, parents are urged to:
• Give children an early meal before going out.
• Insist that treats be brought home for inspection before anything is eaten.
• Wash fruit and slice into small pieces.
• When in doubt, throw it out.

HALLOWEEN PARTY THEMES
Whether you decide to go trick-or-treating or hold a Halloween party for your friends and family or even invite your whole neighborhood, here are some fun party ideas that can easily and inexpensively be put together. Use your imagination and add to these party themes with some of your own ideas. Remember to ask your neighbors for their help and candy donations.

Barnyard Bash
Invitations: Cut out animal shapes on construction paper and write the party information on these. Hand deliver to your guests.
Decorations: bales of hay, bunches of dried cornstalks, autumn leaves, pumpkins, gourds, dried corncobs.
Serve food in western bandannas attached to sticks. Be sure to make a scarecrow. Carved out pumpkins make great serving dishes or chip bowls.

Witches, Wizards and Goblins
Invitations: Buy several cheap plastic magic wants. Print out invitations on white paper with important information. Scroll up around want. Tie with orange and black ribbon. Hand deliver to guests.
Decorations: String Christmas lights around the entrance way. Hang silver and gold stars through out the party area. Mylar gold and silver balloons can also be hung. Cut out ghost shapes in Mylar and hang. Glow-in-the-dark tape attached to walls, doors, lamps etc. is nice when lights are low. Grave markers can be made from Styrofoam sheets - use felt-tip markers to make inscription.

Cats and Bats
Invitations: Cut out the shape of cats or bats in construction paper. Write important party info on these. Hand deliver to invited guests.
Decorations: Have guests enter through a cat door (place a dark blanket over half the doorway and let guests crawl through). Hang black crepe paper and cobwebs everywhere. Hang black silhouettes of cats and bats throughout the house. Black balloons are a nice touch.

Monster Mash
Invitations: Buy inexpensive eye masks at party store. Write important party information on mask and hand deliver to guests.
Decorations: Bats hung everywhere! Make a coffin out of cardboard and leave at entrance way for kids jackets etc. to be placed inside. Hang black and green crepe paper or streamers.

Nightmare at Haunted House
Invitations: Cut out tombstone shapes on construction paper. Write party info in the form of an epitaph. Hand deliver to guests.
Decorations: Hang spider webs, plastic insects, phony tombstones, ghosts, balloons, witches and bats. Use back and white candles (out of reach of children). Hang ghosts made from white pillowcases. Use white balloons with black eyes drawn on them with markers. Ask florist to save dead flowers and wreaths that would be thrown away. Create a headless heathen by stuffing old clothes with newspaper and prop up at front door. Dry ice makes a special affect at these parties. (*Please be sure to use the dealers safety recommendations for the handling of dry ice-NEVER allow children to handle dry ice)



Photobucket
Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Healthy Emotions

My husband, Adam, left this morning for a conference in Houston, TX.  He's gone to conferences before, but this is the first one since Rowan was born.  I always have had a lot of respect for single parents, when he's gone that respect just grows and grows.  Each conference he's gone to has presented me with new and different challenges as a parent.  The first conference Kara was just a year old and she got her first big illness.  I was unable to get much sleep or food.  All she wanted was to lay on my lap and be held.  Going to the bathroom was an adventure: have you ever tried to hitch your pants up when your child is strapped to you and throwing up at the same time?  Other conferences I've had the joys of explaining to Kara why her dad isn't there and why he wasn't going to be home for x days.   I got quite skilled at keeping her distracted from his absence.  This time though I am presented with 2 new challenges.  The first being that I now have two children, one that is awake frequently during the night and needs much of my attention (and body).  The second is one I had not thought of before.

How do you express emotions around your children?  Prior to Kara when Adam would go to a conference I would have cried a bit, gone home, eaten junk food and watched TV, read some books, done a puzzle and stayed up way past my bedtime.  Now I know better than to spend my time watching TV, staying up late and eating junk food.  I'm sure I'll read plenty of books and may do some puzzles. Granted the books may not be more complicated than naming dinosaurs and the puzzles will have less than 50 pieces.  But what to do about the desire to cry?  Do I show Kara how sad I am that her dad has left?  Do I let her see how worried I am about how our time alone will go and his safety?  Or do I keep a stiff upper lip and keep on going as if nothing has changed?  If I don't express my emotions, in a healthy way that is, am I teaching Kara to not acknowledge her own emotions?  Does that teach her to be a stoic and afraid of emotions?  If I show her the tears does that then lead her to fear and worry when she shouldn't have that burden?  Will she feel she needs to take care of me since I am sad?  This also leads me to examine how we deal with Kara's tantrums and other outbursts of emotion.  Right now we ask her to calm down and say that once she is calm we can talk about what is bothering her. But does that teach her that she shouldn't express the emotion?  Would it be better to say "wow, you are really sad/angry/upset.  Let's take a moment to be that way, then we can calm down and talk about what has made you feel that way"?  We do try to acknowledge the emotion by saying "you sound really sad", but is that enough?  Do we need to give her more space to feel and express the emotion?  I want to raise children that are not afraid of their emotions and can express them in a healthy way.  I don't want them learning to stuff their feelings down or to think that it's not ok to let others know how they are feeling.  Emotions can be powerful and influence our thinking more than we often realize or admit.  To have a healthy relationship with emotions would allow them to recognize, feel, and then move on past the emotions so they do not influence their decisions excessively.  The question is- how to achieve that.

Submitted by Heidi-rose Creuzinger, member of NorthMetroDCMommies.  Heidi-rose blogs at Terror at 3 Feet & Rising.
Monday, October 10, 2011

Menu Monday - Blackberry Jam


Blackberry Jam

Ingredients:
3 Cups Blackberries
2 Cups Water   
1 Package Powdered fruit pectin
5 Cups Sugar

Cooking Instructions:
Crush fruit thoroughly. Add water and fruit pectin. Stir until pectin is dissolved. Heat to boiling. Boil 5-10 minutes. Add sugar. Stir until dissolved. Boil 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until thick.


Submitted by a member to The Mommies Network recipe database
Sunday, October 9, 2011

National Support at Your Fingertips

What if you had a place to go that had the same great support as your local chapter, but with more specialized forums and thousands of members across the United States?

What if that place offered encouragement to mommies in specific situations, such as stay-at-home, work-at-home, and military mommies?

What if that place provided interaction in groups discussing the latest Twilight books, couponing tips, and other hot topics in today's culture?

What if you could get all that for free?

Well, wonder no longer, because it's here at The Mommies Network National Forum. With 3,000 members and growing, the National Forum offers the same great support you've come to know from your local chapter, but with a twist. It features unique forums not available on your home site, including couponing, family vacation tips (including Disney), and alternative medicine.

Looking for someone to chat with about Twilight and other vamp books? Check out our "Everything Vamps" subforum in Books, Movies, & Entertainment. Are you a stay-at-home, campus, or military mommy looking for a friend? Talk with those in your situation in one of the Our Work subforums. Do you have a child with special needs and desire interaction with other mothers who are dealing with a specific condition? We have subforums related to specific diagnoses in Our Kids With Special Needs.

Members of this free site may purchase a Premium Membership, which contains extra forums, such as Debate This and Classifieds, along with other perks.

Mommies across the country are chatting it up in these and many other groups in the National Forum. So skip the "what ifs," and join us for enhanced support on a national scale!

If you're interested in being on the ground level of the action, consider becoming a Support Coordinator or Posting Diva for the National Forum.
Friday, October 7, 2011

How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?

How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?

If you grew up in the kind of neighborhood I did, then you remember people sitting out on their front porches in the evenings, kids playing out in the neighbors yard until it was too dark to see and the mad rush to the ice cream truck when that little jingle was first heard on the street.

Nowadays, that scene is almost non-existent. Many parents are working late, then have to pick up the kids from their day care provider and rush home to make dinner, spend a little quality time with the kids and then off to bed to start all over again. Parents are worried that the streets aren't safe. People drive everywhere, and the most you see someone is when you are both getting into your car at the same time.

There are many benefits to having a close relationship with your neighbors. Research shows that neighborhoods where people know each other by name and are connected to one another have lower crime rates. It has even been shown that kids who live in tight knit communities do better in school.

Maybe it is time for us to bring back the days of yesterday, and get to know our neighbors. One way you can do this is by making a neighborhood directory. Send a letter (or even better, deliver it in person) asking your neighbors if they would like to be included in a neighborhood directory. A sample letter can be found here. Have them complete a form that provides you with information to put in the directory. A sample form can be found here. Once you have collected the completed forms, print a directory and distribute it to your neighbors. You can also email the directory to them to save on paper costs.

Another idea is to start a website for your neighborhood. You can get a free website from Geocities (http://www.geocities.com) or Neighborhood Link (http://www.neighborhoodlink.com). You can put a calendar of events in your area on the site, or perhaps list the email addresses of the residents. A bulletin board can be used to post announcements or special needs.

What about an old-fashioned potluck dinner or backyard barbecue. Invite your neighbors and ask them to bring a covered dish or dessert to share! What a wonderful way to get to know the people in your neighborhood. You might enjoy it so much that you turn it into a monthly event!

In this day and age, it is even more critical that we know those who live around us. Our very safety might depend on it. But there is also so much joy to be found right in your backyard! A host of new friends (and babysitters!) can be found just a stone's throw away from your front door. And perhaps, all of your neighbors are just sitting there waiting for you to make it all happen!

Originally posted on CharlotteMommies.com
Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Hard Copy or eReader?

So, I need to talk to you about something very important. And yes, it has everything to do with books. I need to know how you're reading these days. Are you reading hard copies of your books - as you always have and always will? Hardbacks. Paperbacks. Mass Market copies that fit in the smallest bags you own?

Or have you gone to the technological side and got yourself a Nook or a Kindle? Any sort of eReader at all?

I can't decide. I love my books. But believe me, I'd have a lot more space in various rooms of my home if I had less of them. And I'd never have to leave my house to buy the latest title that sparks my interest. AND I could carry more than one book at a time with me when I travel (not that that's frequent or anything - but still) and switch it around if I wanted to without worrying.

And no more tearing ads out of magazines to create bookmarks. That would be nice. You know the kind? The little tear outs that are in every magazine? Oh, and magazines! I could subscribe to more and not worry about how quickly I read them and whether or not I'll be able to recycle all those pages well enough to feel a little bit greener.

But I would totally miss the page by page feel. I would totally miss how a book feels in my hands. The weight of it. The smell of it, even. I would miss living in the bookstore like I normally do. More than once a month we head there to take our daughter to play with the trains at Barnes and Noble.

But see, there's another concern. Kindle or Nook? I live off Barnes and Noble, ALWAYS. But I am saving the Amazon giftcards that I have been getting through Swagbucks so I can buy one [a Kindle] for practically nothing. Sort of.

So what do I do? What did you do?

Fill me in on why you switched to an eReader, or why you think you never will. And I'll just keep reading. And reading. And - well - you get the idea!

Happy Reading -- however you do it!

Originally posted on the TriangleMommies blog on 5/7/11
Andrea is a SAHM who blogs about her everyday life, motherhood and more over at http://goodgirlgoneredneck.blogspot.com
Monday, October 3, 2011

The Mommies Network Presents ... Mommies Talk

Mommies Talk Webinar
The Mommies Network Presents ... Mommies Talk!
Mommies Talk is a monthly webinar series that engages, informs, and supports our members.

Get your kids to listen — the first time. No nagging or yelling required. October's webinar, presented in partnership with Positive Parenting Solutions, offers tools and strategies you can use right away. Discover how this webinar will be your answer to better behavior and parenting peace!

There are two dates to choose from: Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 2 p.m. EDT and Thursday, Oct. 13, at 9 p.m. EDT. To ensure that this webinar proceeds as scheduled, we need at least 120 participants. If you are interested in attending, please click here to sign up as soon as possible.

Email jennifer.zaranis@themommiesnetwork.org with any questions about the Mommies Talk webinar series.

Menu Monday - Basil Mayo

Basil Mayo

Ingredients:
1 Cups Mayo (Best Foods or the like)
1/4 Cup Chopped, Fresh Basil
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp Lemon Zest
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:
Incorporate all ingredients into Mayo, whisk until smooth.

Serving Suggestions:
For Sandwhiches or dip for French Fries!

Additional Comments:
For Dried basil, 2 Tablespoons

Submitted to The Mommies Network recipe database by "Lyndsey"

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