kids painting

Little ones are always wanting to paint in my house.  It isn't that I mind the painting, it's that I mind the mess afterwards.  I buy the washable paint (duh), lay down newspaper, and make sure they have on an old shirt, or a trash bag over their good clothes.  Well, let's be truthful here....the clothes thing is just one more step that I don't have time for. 

It seems like every 3 out of 5 times they paint, someone spills the cup of brush water.  It soaks right through the newspaper and you know the rest.  So, I am happy to report to you that this method has worked every time and no more soggy newspaper mess.

Take a pizza box and break it in half.  Like so.....

best tortilla chips

These are the best tortilla chips!  They have the perfect level of saltiness, crunchiness, and they taste like they just came out of the kitchen.

Reading List

If you have children, please follow along. This is a no brainer!

 

In our home, we have more than one child that is reading age and, well, it is basically impossible to keep up with what book each child is currently reading.  When they were younger, we all read together, so I knew what information they were getting.  I wish I could tell you that I kept up with all of it until they were teenagers reading novels.  This is not the case, however, I was left in a cloud of dust just after they passed picture books.  How was I supposed to keep ahead of these little reading maniacs?  To be a good mom, I was sure that I needed to pre-read everything before handing it over to their little spongy, naive minds.  How in the world was I going to get ahead of them?  Was I supposed to start reading at 3 a.m. for crying out loud?!  I didn't want to hand over a book that would disturb them for life. 

 

I also wanted them to know and read good literature, not just a bunch of words on paper.  According to Gladys Hunt, a good book is always an experience containing spiritual, emotional, and intellectual dimensions.  Sounds pretty good to me! 

 

Sure, I could give them each any random book from the library, but that doesn't mean it is quality literature, or even appropriate.  "Honey for a child's heart" is a compelling, essential guide to finding the best books for your children.

In this book, Gladys Hunt has done all of the hard work for us!  She has compiled reading lists for various age groups (ex. age 0-3, 4-8, 9-12), as well as special interests lists (ex. animal lovers, fantasy novels).  This is super easy.  All you have to do now, is open the book, go down the list and reserve your picks at your local library.  You no longer have to worry  about whether the book your child is reading is "okay" with you or not. 

 

You can use this amazing resource however it best fits your family.  I go through and pick 2 books per child each week and reserve them at the library.  Then as we make our visit to library, I pick up the books I have on hold and then also let them pick a few more books per child.  I know when we leave that each of my children have at least 2 books that are good stories.  Quality literature is a high priority.  This will be a book that you truly utilize every week.  You can purchase this book at any bookstore.  Enjoy!

Menu Planner

Fix the "What's for dinner?" conundrum with this effortless meal plan system! 

A menu planner that works!!  I have tried time and time again, different ways of menu planning.  I love to cook, but sometimes, I am not in the mood to come up with what we are having for dinner.  This is the best meal planning idea that I have seen.  This idea comes from Better Homes and Gardens.  My family loves it.  Everyone can now get involved in what's for dinner.  

You will print out labels of the foods that your family enjoys.  Then, everyone can simply place the labels in your weekly meal planner that they would like to have.  There are categories for breakfast, meat, veggies, fruits, breads, seafood, and salads.  My family immediately noticed there wasn't a "dessert" category....so I solved the crisis and printed them on a separate color.  You may not be as psychotic as I am about organization, but this is super pleasing to me.

You can choose to put your labels directly onto your refrigerator.  I have this one on a magnetic board, which is then hooked to our RV refrigerator.  Also, I drew the weekly calendar with permanent marker.  You can use any magnetic calendar that you have.

Here is how it works. 

Purchase "gloss white magnetic paper" from any office supplies store.  There are 4 sheets per package for about $10.  These magnetic paper sheets feed right into any ink jet printer.  I promise, I have ran 8 of these through my printer and it hasn't hurt it at all.  This is the coolest stuff to use.  Once you see how neat it is, you will start using it for other things like pictures, etc.

Now, go to bhg.com/foodlabels to download the label templates for free.  You can either type in your food items and then print, or you can print and then write them in with permanent marker.

Now, simply cut each label out and stick to your fridge or magnetic board. 

Seriously, you must give this one a try.  My kids and my husband now stand at the fridge and move items into meal spots.  I don't have to wonder what my family wants for dinner anymore.......I just have to look at the menu board.

RV pantry organization

I am always looking for better ways to organize my pantry in our class A RV.  My husband accuses me of having a "nuclear storage" of food and perishables at home.  I am trying to fight back the desire to do the same thing on a smaller scale in our RV.  So, all of that to say.....I have implemented a few things that have freed up more cabinet space for more..........FOOD!

Above you will see the canisters from IKEA for flour, sugar, etc.  Below that are 2 plastic bins with a handle on the end from Wal-Mart.  These are good  for organizing snacks for the kids, drinks, etc.  They are both great for your home pantries also.

Orange Rice

Growing up in the Ozarks of Missouri, I didn't have any friends that ate grits for breakfast or things like red beans and rice and gumbo, like my family. My mom was born and raised in south Louisiana. She cooked foods for us that reflected her southern heritage. I will post more of her wonderful recipes soon, but let's start with a family favorite.

This recipe is no only a family favorite, it is super easy to make. Your kids will love it. What is funny about this recipe, is the name. In my family it is know as "Orange Rice." Truth is.....it isn't really orange at all, it is more of a reddish color. It consists of tomato sauce, shrimp and sausage as well as the rice. Perhaps there is a more glamorous title to be had, but in my family....it will remain "Orange Rice." Enjoy!

You need: 1 chopped onion, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. parsley,
1 tsp. cajun seasoning ( I use Tony Chachere's), 1 tsp. sugar,
2 lbs/1 qt. shrimp, 1 lb. Hillshire Farms smoked sausage,
1 28 oz. can of tomato sauce, 4-5 cups of rice.

Cook down your onion in a small amount of olive oil. Once the onions are cooked, add sausage that has been chopped into bite size chunks and all of the seasonings and sugar.

 

Let that cook a few minutes and then add your tomato sauce and 1 cup of water.



Now you will add your rice. You have some options here. You can add already cooked rice, and this will speed up your dish. If you wish to add raw rice, this will take a while longer, but will cook with your sauce and seasonings.

Once your rice is cooked, you will add the shrimp. Remember, shrimp does not take long to cook. Once they turn a pinkish/orange color they are cooked through.

Ta-da..Orange Rice is ready to serve!

RV Shower

Ok, so we have a wonderful RV that we enjoy traveling and sometimes living in .  However, there are a few times when it isn't exactly perfect.  For our family of 6, it never fails:  when someone is in the shower, someone else needs to go to the bathroom.  This means either the person in shower is forced to rush, or the person (child) waiting for bathroom is outside the hallway door making all sorts of distress sounds.  I for one, have been rushed for the last time. 

This is a simple DIY project that you can complete in 15 minutes.  Buy a shower curtain and a set of hooks.  Place the shower curtain hooks on curtain and hang over your shower.  Once the shower curtain is in the perfect place, mark on the curtain your cut line.  Make your cut line where the door meets the side.  Remove the shower curtain.  Lay flat on a surface and cut a straight line on your cut mark.  Thus, cutting your shower curtain into 2 pieces, but not of equal size.

 

 

 

You can sew the raw edges back to make a more finished look, or you can use liquid stitch(if you don't have your sewing machine) to finish off the edges.  Now, take the small part of the curtain, hook on curtain hooks and put into place.  Next, hang the larger portion of the shower curtain on the hooks over the top of the shower.  Once you are in the shower, pull on the end curtain hook that is  attached to the larger curtain piece and pull to cover the glass door.  People can now pass through, etc while you are in the shower.  WHEW!

RV Spice organization

Another tip for your RV or home pantry is these magnetic spice canisters.  Simply buy a magnetic strip and attach it to your wall, door, shelf, etc.  For your home, you can attach these magnetic strips to the inside of your pantry door, or the inside of your cabinet doors.  For your RV, attach it with Velcro on the back. 

Cherry Cheesecake Popsicles

If you like cheesecake.......you are going to love these popsicles.

Mix the No Bake cheesecake per package directions.  Put a tablespoon full of cherry pie filling in the molds first.

Now, top them off with the cheesecake mixture.  Insert tops and freeze for a couple of hours.

 

 

Simply Amazing!!

 



 





 



Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles

These popsicles are super easy, a great snack that your kids will love.  They are so quick to make and a refreshing treat for all.

First, make your lemonade per package directions. Next, chop up the strawberries.

Fill your popsicle molds 3/4 full of lemonade, then drop in the chopped strawberries.

Place the lids on the molds and freeze for a couple of hours. 

The molds used in these pictures are from IKEA. The cost is $2 for each set of 6. I recommend getting 2 sets, in order to make 12 popsicles at a time. I don't know about you all, but my crew went through these pretty fast. 

Yummy!