is your home wired for an internal computer network, or do you have a wireless network? A webcam with a microphone might work if the feed went to a laptop, then you could have it in whatever room you were in at the time. Or, if you are getting a security system installed, you can ask the company to add a camera to their bedroom. years ago I used a nanny cam that I could see and hear at work through a website, but I am sure the technology is much easier and affordable now, these things tend to get easier and cheaper to use.

I hadn’t really thought of a security system.  We are trying to watch our money - not really people who you’d think would live in such a big house.  We got it for 1/2 price (literally- a foreclosure that sat for a year).  But, I will check into it.  Maybe it doesn’t cost as much as I thought.  My dh did set up a wireless network - hadn’t thought of that helping in this situation.  I’ll check into that too.  Thanks

Vinager and newspapers!  Without a doubt!  and cheap too!

My mom always swore by hot vinegar w/water + newspapers.
I, however, do a 2 step process w/plain hot water & a rag as a first pass, to get the gunk off, then my rubbing alcohol/water mix w/terry rag or paper towel. (We’ve got replacement vinyl windows, if that makes a difference.
Last year, btw, I did a 3rd step of adding a Rain-X coating (the stuff for car windshields) on the side of the house that gets the most wind & rain, and they looked pretty good!  Plus I wiped the vinyl frames with Armour-All.  All of this was only possible b/c of the tilt-out feature; otherwise I’d probably just put up thicker curtains and cross windowcleaning off the list permanently! 

My dad used to use windex and then wipe with newspapers. Seemed to work pretty well, but I’m not sure it was much better than paper towels.

Hi Judi,

I love our window scrubbie and squeegee and it makes our windows sparkle!  I found that newspaper always left a grayish film, so have made the switch.

Don Aslett has these supplies, website is: cleanreport.com but I think Amazon may carry their stuff, too. (I’m certain you can get them other places, but even though these are not cheap, I have my original set that I bought over 10 years ago and they are still going strong!) Additionally, the cleaning solution is just water, with 2-3 drops of dishsoap in it.  Good luck!

Hi Judi,

NORWEX!!! If you don’t have a consultant in your area, check the website. Their microfiber cloths are fantastic and actually make window washing kind of fun! My kids LOVE to clean mirrors and windows now!

Have you checked out this blog http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ ? I think it has some great ideas. Occassionally there is one Im like “No flipping way!” Like the venison one at the top right now. But, most of the recipes are good.

Even though I only have three kiddos and we arent in lots of activities I still love my crockpot. I hope you find enough recipes that you use your crockpot…..they are marvelous kitchen gadgets:)

Take care

A very easy recipe is 2 jars of spagetti sauce and italian (or hot) sausage.  You can precook the sausage in the microwave until slightly pink inside.  Cut sausages apart for more flavor and cook in the crock pot until sausage is not longer pink.  You can make spagetti or just have big sub rolls for sausage sandwiches. 

Also a very quick idea or snacks or dinner is take those round flour tortillas and sprinkle shredded cheese inside and then microwave until cheese melts.  You can also add chicken.

We also make the above mentioned sausage recipe and it’s a big hit over pasta or on hoagie rolls with my kids.  We make chili, sloppy joes, and even crock pot apple oatmeal.  You can also cook up chicken breasts or pork chops in the crock pot, seasoned however you like, just add a little water to keep it moist.  Sometimes we’ll layer ground beef, carrots, and potatoes with tomato soup.  If you’re not entirely opposed to using cream soups here and there, Betty Crocker has a really yummy (not low cal) beef stroganoff recipe on the website.  I also make a delicious cream of potato soup.  Now I’m hungry, too!

Throw a pork shoulder in with a pack of taco seasoning.  At dinner time, put a bunch of warm corn tortillas on the table, and shredded cheese too.  Viola - carnitas!

I didn’t after my son’s no-gift birthday party.  I figured that I hosted, fed the kids (and parents), gave goodie bags and requested no presents, so thank you notes didn’t seem necessary.

I would be uncomfortable if I received a thank you note for attending a no-gift party.  Maybe I’m paranoid, but I would worry that my child was the one child who didn’t bring a gift!

MamaA, you should not have sewn the ribbon in the neckline, because you need to be able to cinch it.  Are you using a safety pin attached to the ribbon to lead it through?  If so, where is it getting stuck?  If gets getting stuck at a seam, you just need to clear the folded over fabric, which is sometimes tricky.  As for the bias tape: use plenty of pins, go slowly, and try a basting stitch first (that’s when you stitch with a really wide stitch just to tack it into place, then you go back with a normal stitch and finally remove the basting stitch).  Also, I really like to skip any step that involves the iron, but it never works out.  If you have lumps before you sew, you’ll have lumps after, so iron things nicely before you try to sew them.

http://www.freshlypickedblog.com/2008/03/pillow-case-dress-tutorial.html
http://twinfibers.blogspot.com/2009/12/pillowcase-dresstunic-tops-tutorial.html

I had bookedmarked these tutorials a while ago & they were just sitting in my “sewing” folder, waiting to share with you!

Thank you, ladies, for the hints!  I am trying to teach myself to sew via youtube, the instruction booklet that came with the sewing machine, and a few library books…it’s been a challenge

If there is ANY WAY you can take a sewing class for beginners, it would really be worth it.  I know how hard that is for us mothers sometimes.  I also recommend the library for sewing books for beginners.  I picked up sewing again 20 years after middle school home-ec classes, and have learned quite a bit from different project books that I’ve come across.  And then try to find a good friend who will help you!

I LOVE the smell of lemon verbena in anything!  I’ll have to look for this scent by Meyers.

Allie, I do it one night at a time! Thankfully, my husband helps quite a bit. One thing I’ve done that might help you—I’ve come up with a generalized “rotation” of meals that I can go to quickly, and keep those always on hand. Then, if I have a night where there is more time, I can “cook” more. The go-to meals we use: tacos/mexican; spaghetti—or as I phrase it “red sauce over pasta”—the actual combination may vary week to week; one night is pizza, usually frozen, but home-made if I have time; often I might do ‘breakfast’ for dinner—eggs & waffles, or whatever I have time for; Friday is usually fish for us—fish sticks/patties and macaroni & cheese. I find keeping basics on hand helps. Try to figure out 5-7 meals that your family likes, and keep those ingredients on hand as much as possible. Once per week is usually not “too” much, at least for my gang. Oh, and I do stock up on $1 sandwiches in the freezer, for the child who must eat before/after our regular meal time, if dinner isn’t either ready, or enough left-over for them. Hope you can figure out what works for you!

I don’t know how old your children are but try and get them to help. The hard part is the training but once trained it will be easier on you. My oldest is 14. He can peel potatoes while I run someone to ballet or gymnastics or cheerleading. I also hook up with other moms so I’m only taking one way and my time is not constantly interrupted. Sometimes I prepare the meat ahead of time and leave it in the fridge. Again, the oldest can turn on the oven and toss in a pan. In the winter, I like to use my crockpot. Dump everything into it in the morning and voila! dinner without me thinking too much about it. The biggest thing you can do for yourself is plan your menu for the week. I agree with Mary Therese about having the old standbys in your freezer just in case your week doesn’t go according to plan. Dinner is a discipline and once you get into a habit, it will be a no brainer. The hardest part is getting started. Good luck!

I plan the meals for the week with the activity schedule in front of me. if I have an evening home, I make sure ton plan for something more complicated that I can make a few of. this way, I usually have frozen meals ready to go on our busy nights, and I know when I need a crockpot meal and start it right away in the morning. I find it helps if I know what’s for dinner, so if I have a little unanticipated down time during the day I can get something started. Danielle Bean recently had a post (maybe late Spring) about juggling meals and baseball and there were a lot of great ideas there. I’ll try to find it (after I make the meatballs for tonight’s dinner).

I started doing all the dinner cooking around 7th or 8th grade. My mom worked full-time at that point, as did my dad. I would come home from school and cook whatever meat my mom left out to thaw…usually this was chicken and cook how she told me to cook it. In the first few months after this was a regular routine, I started being creative and just cooking it how I wanted it done. This led to things like homemade chicken fingers dredged in flour/Bisquick and ranch dressing mix or breadcrumbs and garlic salt…you get the idea. The basics. I would also cook rice, potatoes, or pasta and a veggie. It was mostly a standard set-up. I could watch Animaniacs and cook dinner and feel like I was really helping out—which gave me a huge confidence boost and made me feel accomplished. Mom and Dad poured on the praise when they got home and dinner was ready! In high school, I got even more creative, but my Dad was very much a meat, potatoes, and veg kind of guy.

My brother had to help my parents with the cleanup and, since I liked cooking, I never thought about the work-balance issues some siblings might deal with. Then, when I went off to college, I was one of very few of my friends who knew what they were doing in the kitchen! Bonus points on dates, too, when you can cook for a second or third date…men who were very used to frozen pizza rolls as sustenance were impressed!

If you think your kids could be interested in cooking, even just as a creative outlet, it’s WORTH A SHOT!