Valentine's Day Crayon Hearts

I found inspiration for these on Pinterest (as usual) and started collecting old broken crayons destined for the garbage.

The Pinterest post I copied

I was about to give up the idea because I didn't want to spend money and time to hunt down silicone heart molds, but then I stumbled across some heart ice cube trays in the Target dollar spot (I think they were $2.50).  Then it was ON!

I love a bargain.  I am my mother's daughter in a lot of ways (but she is the bargain QUEEN).

So, since these cheap molds were not silicone as far as I could tell, I wasn't sure about their heat limits.  I cut the crayons in much smaller pieces and used my toaster oven around 150-200 degrees and it worked just fine.

If I did this again though, I would fill the cups even more.  The crayons are pretty thin and won't last too long.  At least they're cute!

Winter Activities for Kids

Hopefully the day after Christmas has your kids occupied with their new gifts and not yet bouncing off the walls.  My son's winter break started Thursday, which was actually kind of nice to have just a couple days before Christmas instead of a whole week to anticipate it and get bored.  He has a shorter break than other schools in the greater area, strangely, but at least he won't go as stir-crazy (I hope).  However, it's only a matter of time before the kids are bouncing off the walls with no snow outside to play in!
I have compiled a whole bunch of ideas we have used in past winters to keep the kids occupied when going outside isn't going to work well.  I hope something helps you through the long days indoors!

1. Get 'em cleaning!
There's something about using the real cleaning items that actually will motivate kids to "help" and keep them busy.  I have given my son a spray bottle of water (dollar store, cosmetics area at Target or a pharmacy will have empty spray bottles) and had him "wash" the inside of the dishwasher door.  He has to be old enough to not want to climb on top though!  I've let them wash windows before with a vinegar and water mixture or Shaklee's Basic H (safe for kids) but sometimes too much water will get onto the floor- throw some towels down in front though and it's no big deal.

Guest Post: Kids' Pickup Routine

Tonight I am welcoming my first guest post from someone who likes to be known as "Cookie Monster." It's actually not going to be a huge secret once you start reading: someone with 3 kids, who thinks very logically (notice the many numbered lists below) and amazingly has the same toy organization bin system that was posted about here.
Ok, no use hiding it- it's my husband!  We thought it would be fun to share his perspective on the madness of getting the kids to pickup their toys.  I will admit the toy clutter was out of control and I couldn't get a handle on it, so I called in the forces of an engineering major (thankfully I happened to be married to one) to put his project management skills to work at home.  Thankfully he helped me out of this mess because this place would be even more chaotic (like scary chaotic) without his leadership here.
Without further ado...

Involving the 3 kids in a pickup routine
by "Cookie Monster" (Sally's hubby)

Transporting Kids in Winter

Last Winter was kind of rough for me; transporting three kids 5 and under anywhere was such an ordeal!  Since I had all of them every morning (my 5-year old had afternoon Kindergarten), I found myself shopping with all of them, all the time.  It was so tiring!

A friend shared with me her idea of moving the seats in such a way that they could all get in from one side- the driver's side.  This was GENIUS.  I wish I remember which friend told me about it first; I know of two who used this for at least a little while!  Since all three still needed help to buckle themselves into carseats, having any one of them in the back meant a lot of stretching and reaching for me.  In the cold Chicago winters, this was not fun.  So, without further ado, here is the amazing setup:

Toy Organization

Christmas is approaching, and with it always comes new toys and things that cause our house to become more cluttered.  I read a good idea online that a friend asked for only books, puzzles, and clothing for her twins' first birthdays.  I thought it was a smart and a great way to give "guidelines" for gift-givers.  I hate to put limits and restrictions on my family and those who want to bless my kids with a gift, but the categories of appreciated gifts seemed to be a good way to go about controlling the clutter.  As kids grow older, they do need different stimulation and things for learning.  However, I'm so tired of the kitschy, trendy materialistic toys that become junk in our house when the kids tire of them within a very short time.  The "junk toys" are the toys that just don't require any imagination from children.  The toys that have stood the test of time in our house are things that can be taken apart and rebuilt easily, (Legos, marble set), the play kitchen and play food (this even goes in spurts of unuse though), dress-up clothes (just starting to become an interest of my 2- and 4-year olds), art supplies, dolls, and household items like pillows, old paper towel rolls, and miscellaneous containers that they like to fill with their trinkets and carry around.  The cardboard box has seriously been a more exciting "toy" than the big fancy thing that came inside of it most of the time!  Even better are "experience" gifts such as tickets to shows, children's museums, or even movies or a day out with family members, and time together like making cookies with their cousins (an idea we plan to try with in-town family, allowing the kids to decorate cookies for each other).

This DVD/VHS collection was reduced by about 1/3

Toddler Activity: Pom Pom bucket

I read about this activity on Money Saving Mom.  She has activities for little ones called Busy Bags, and one activity in this category was called "Pom Pom stuff-it-in" or something like that.  I thought it looked like a fun activity to do for my 2-year old, so I made one.
Super easy steps:

Stuffin' it in

School Homework Spot

About a month into the school year I realized my oldest son didn't have a regular spot to keep his homework.  We have a stack of file shelves on my desk where I keep school papers, but things get buried pretty quickly there.  If they need attention they have to go in my mail "pocket" in the kitchen, or it floats around the counter.  I realized that I was having to keep track of all his stuff all the time, and especially the long-term assignments (which are about 4 days long for a first grader!).  Enter another cause for a stressed-out mommy.  So, I took an old bulletin board, wrapped it in leftover fabric from covering old chairs (which are now long gone and taken for free by someone in the neighborhood), and hung it near the table where he does his homework.  Now he keeps his weekly spelling list and homework in the same spot, pinned to the bulletin board, and is great about keeping track of it!