Picky Eater Therapy

Do you have picky eaters? Maybe you simply have kids who aren’t picky, but are afraid of trying new things. I have an interesting activity you can try that is really fun, teaches your kids all kinds of skills, and encourages them to willingly try new foods. It’s best explained in what I did.

I told my kids we were going to have a special supper made up entirely of foods they selected. I told them I would take them to the grocery store and they could make all the decisions, but nothing could be familiar to them. Everything they selected had to be something they didn’t recognize.

When we arrived at the store, we headed to the produce department. They took their time, read names of items and asked me about them. They finally settled on some tiny Russian potatoes that looked long and skinny. They also picked brussel sprouts and mangos (none of which I had bothered to introduce yet, in fear of what would happen). Next they went to the meat department and chose spicy beef and pepper skewers. Last, they chose a funny shaped bread from the bakery.

When we got home, they helped clean and cook all the items. They were very excited to help me figure out how we were going to cut, cook, and serve some of the things. They were so proud of the meal and tried everything. Nobody wanted to be left out of getting her chance of voicing an opinion.

The result? It was a hit. The kids discovered they love brussel sprouts. They ask for them all the time, and we planted a large garden of them this year. The kids continually ask when we can do it again.

Low Cost Halloween Party for Kids

My 10 year old daughter decided she wanted to host a HalloTween party this year. We decided the garage would be the best place, since it’s big and we wouldn’t have to worry about spills, make-up smears, etc. To make it more fun, we decided to decorate the garage to make it creepy (not gross). We dug through the Halloween tote and took out all the saved decorations, lights, and masks that we could use. Then we got creative.

First, we took some black garbage bags and cut them into strips width-wise to create long black streamers which we taped up. We also put blankets up on a clothes wire to separate the “excess garage stuff” in the third stall.

We also used fake spider webbing all over the garage walls. It sticks great to rough plywood, and there’s plenty of nails and other stuff to wrap it around. I also replaced the ceiling light bulbs with red colored bulbs for a creepier look ($4 spent thus far).

We also used white sidewalk chalk to draw spiral patterns all over the garage floor for a really funky-fun look on the dance floor. We borrowed a disco ball from friends so that there will be colored lights twirling by the dance floor. We strung streamers and decorations across the ceiling, right above the dance floor for a festive look.

Next, we brought in all the patio furniture and created a seating area. I found an old white plastic patio table that the kids can all sign and write on during the night.

I moved our electric fireplace out for heat, as it is expected to be very chilly this week. Plus, the flames add extra “creepiness” and the top of the fireplace is a great place to set up the music and speakers. Our friends have another fireplace, which we are going to borrow for a second source of heat and place on the other side of the garage.

I brought in our wood sculpted bear, gave him a cape and a mask, and we have an instant monster by the fire place.

You can’t escape having a large garbage can for plates and candy wrappers, but who wants a plain one? I found an old pair of green tights, stuffed them with plastic bags, and then tied them to the garbage can so it looks like a pair of legs are sticking out. I know the kids are going to get a kick out of this one.

I contemplated putting ruby red slippers on and crushing the legs under our giant bird house with a “wicked witch of the west” sign. I opted for practical, since we needed the garbage can in there and I was running out of room.

Then we raided the adult winter snowsuits, stuffed them with stuffed animals, duct taped some gloves on and we had some more creepy monsters for the garage. Oh, need something to fill out the masks? Use your soccer and volleyballs. They work great!

 

Next I built a mummy. My daughter and I visited one of those fun, but very expensive Halloween stores for ideas. We loved the mummy, so I decided to make one. I used two giant stuffed dolls my girls had and wrapped them in a white table cloth. I used a rubber band to define the neck/head. Then I wrapped it in toilet paper and used some medical gauze to wrap the head. I used some white spider webbing and added a black spider to the body. I bought a  styrofoam headstone at the dollar store ($1 dollar spent). Then we laid it by the entrance to the garage, which we decorated in a wall of glittery streamers.

Next, we moved the patio table inside, gave it a new table cloth that my friend picked up at a second hand store and donated to the cause! We replaced batteries in the “monster hand” bowl and strobe light which will add extra fun to the dark space. The batteries are definately an expense!

I moved my card table and chairs out, along with a light for a game table area. We put a black lightbulb in the lamp so the cards will glow. (another $4 spent)

We are going to serve decorated cupcakes we made and froze ahead of time, pizza, nachos/dip, and of course, candy. I am going to make a green sherbet and ginger ale punch in my large punch bowl, which we will call chilled slime.

I know these pictures don’t do the space justice. It is much scarier without the light that I needed to take these pictures. So without further adu, here’s the rest of the pictures.

  

 

Recipe: Ginger Chicken

I have grown to love the taste of fresh ginger.

Whether I’m eating Chinese food or Sushi topped with pickled ginger, I LOVE ginger.

My kids love ginger too. Therefore, I’ve created this tasty recipe for Ginger Chicken, but really you could use it on pork, shrimp, or beef.

 

 

Ginger Chicken Recipe:

1 pack of preferred chicken pieces

1 small jar of orange marmalade

2 TBLS of honey mustard (or use 1 TBLS honey and 1 TBLS yellow mustard)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 TBLS soy sauce

1/8 to 1/4 cup of fresh grated ginger root

Mix ingredients together, and divide in half. Use half to coat/marinade your meat for a few hours in the refrigerator. Save the rest to brush on while cooking and dip while eating. You can grill this slowly for a really great taste. Too high of heat might burn the sugar in the marmalade.I like to add fresh peapods and sweet peppers and serve over white rice. Enjoy!

Swaptree.com

I was recommended swaptree as a great alternative to paperbackswap, so I decided to give it a try.  I have to say that I don’t think its quite a right fit for me, but I can see why people love it.

It’s a pretty simple concept.  You make a straight trade with another member.  No counting credits, no sending out all your books without anything coming in.  It’s like this:  Members make lists of things they’re offering for trade, and lists of things they want.  Then, when two members make a match (I’ll give you my High School Musical DVD for your hardcover of Breaking Dawn…) they exchange information and mail each other their items.  If you’re not sure what you want for your Kingdom Hearts game, you can browse the list of things people are offering.  As you browse the list, you say “Oh!  The Labrynth on DVD.  I love David Bowie!  I want that!”  See?  Easy.

This system is much better than paperbackswap for people who want to barter a greater variety of items.  It also helps that the things you want are much less likely to be taken, since only people who meet the offerer’s trade requirements may claim it.

The reason this system doesn’t work very well for me is because of my binding snobbery.  For example, I am trying to collect Hardcover versions of my Harry Potter books.  However, even though I only listed hardcover ISBNs in my wishlist, my offers come sometimes without information about the bindings, or saying they’re paperback.  And since the ISBN number doesn’t show up in swap requests, I can’t be sure I’m not just being offered a  paperback of HP and the OOP.  Furthermore, I can’t seem to find any way to contact the offerer to ask.  So, I have let at least two trades go because I don’t want to waste a trade on a book I don’t want.

I have recently traded away a book for a dvd, which was a great trade for me.  The only part that makes me nervous about the trade is that I have no idea if the person I sent my book to actually received it.  You report when an item doesn’t arrive, but as far as I can tell, you can’t mark it mailed or received.

Also, as a side note- if you do use both swaptree and paperbackswap, keep in mind that you will have to keep track of your books on both sites.  If you swap out a book on swaptree, make sure to take it off your pbs list, too- and vice versa.  That can get to be a bit of a pain, but its worth the effort if you have your heart set on shaking up your bookshelf.

All in all, swaptree is definitely a great site for  people looking to swap dvds, cds and games, and for those book traders who aren’t picky like me about which binding they get.  I’ve pulled books from my “i want” list, and am just hoping someone is looking to trade a season of Gilmore Girls for my copy of The Princess Diaries.   And I’m just trying to ignore that nagging feeling that the book I mailed is lost out there in postal service limbo.

Abbreviated Conversations: LOL

 If you are like me, you are starting to memorize a few abbreviations that make texting, instant messaging, and blogging easier. If you spend any time on Twitter or Facebook, chances are you see plenty of abbreviated phrases. Just in case you are wondering what some mean, here are a few. Please leave a comment with your favorites or ones that you use all the time!

 

BRB: Be right back

DD: Darling Daughter

DH: Darling Husband

DS: Darling Son

DW: Darling Wife

LMAO: Laughing My A** Off

LOL: Laughing out loud

LOML: Love of my life

ROTF: Rolling on the floor

OMG: Oh my gosh

PPL: People

TY: Thank you

T+: Think Positive

101 Things to Do With a Ham

Ok, well maybe I don’t have a total of 101 things to do with a ham, but I’ve come up with some great ideas to use up a ham this week.

When ham was on special at Easter-time, I bought the largest spiral ham I could find. I stuck it in the freezer until today.

Little does the ham know the plans I have for it. Shhh. Read on, but don’t tell the ham.

 

 

 

Tuesday:  Bake and eat with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled sweet potatoes

Wednesday: Use leftover ham slices with swiss cheese to fill homemade Chicken Cordon Bleu, over rice.

Wednesday: Make double batch of Chicken Cordon Bleu to deliver to friends who just had a baby.

Wednesday: Use some ham to grind with pickles and onion to make a sandwich spread for the kids to pack in their school lunches this week.

Thursday: Scalloped potatoes and ham. Make a double batch and freeze one pan for another day when I have less time to cook.

Friday: Use the ham bone and dried beans to make a homemade Bean and Ham soup all day in the crockpot. Bake fresh bread to eat with the soup.

Friday: Later, while watching movies, make a veggie/cracker/meat platter for snacks, using up leftover ham spread on crackers.

Saturday: Compost the ham bone.

Use Vinegar for Soft Clothes and a Clean Washer

This tip is from Cindy at TidyTightwads.com taken from a couple different blog and twitter posts about homemade cleaning supplies and uses for vinegar. Since they both use vinegar, I thought I would do a little commercial for vinegar. I’m a convert.

Ode to Vinegar

The magical household supply

You ask how? You ask why?

Vinegar is safe, and vinegar is cheap,

Come discover the joyful vinegar leap.

Never again will all those chemicals make you itch,

Experience the difference and you will switch!

 

Cindy advises using vinegar and hot water to clean your washer. Run a complete cycle with the washer empty to clean out any water deposits, musty smells, etc.

Cindy also says you can eliminate liquid laundry softener by adding a 1/4 cup vinegar to the load instead. Clothes will be soft and will NOT smell like vinegar. This is a wonderful tip for those allergic to laundry softeners (I am) and those who have kids whose skins is highly sensitive (I have three kids with sensitive skin and eczema)

Declutter Your House: One Empty Fruitroll-Up Box at a Time

Most cases of clutter are rooted in one problem: Failure to designate a specific place to put each item. “Once everything has a home, you know where to find it and where to put it away.”

DE-CLUTTERING YOUR HOUSE: Once you acknowledge that all your clutter is having an enormously DRAINING effect on you, you will realize that there is no option but to do something about it. The process of acknowledging and taking action to eliminate the clutter is liberating and freeing. You will be amazed at how de-cluttering one area of your life can positively effect OTHER areas of your life, including your professional life, your relationships with others, the effectiveness of your parenting, and so on………….So let’s get to it!

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

If you feel stressed by just thinking about the clutter that has invaded your home, don’t fret, there is hope! It didn’t get there overnight and won’t disappear overnight. You need to be REALISTIC about the time it will take to address it. Taking many, many small steps will give you the results you need to reclaim the lost energy, space and time. Before you know it, those STEPS will add up to a massive step in addressing chaos in your home.

 GETTING STARTED: Set a day and time to make a start, write it down and STICK to it. Gather together what you will need. Garbage bags, labels, boxes, etc. Make sure you have this ready before the day.

GEARING UP: Use positive self-talk and an “I can do it attitude” to MENTALLY prepare you for your first job. This helps keep your energy levels up, as well as the negative, lazy voice inside your head. Don’t underestimate the power of saying POSITIVE things to yourself, such as “It’s never as bad as you think.” “One step at a time” and so on.

START SMALL: It is a good idea to start with just a drawer here and there before tackling whole cupboards and rooms. Otherwise, you risk being swamped with too much mess, which may scare you off doing something about the rest. It’s also really important to COMPLETE one area before starting on another or you will feel overwhelmed. Just remember to start small and not to get carried away with the job at hand, and forget to clean up after yourself before going onto the NEXT job.

START WITH YOURSELF: Tackle YOUR own areas first rather than your partner’s or your children’s. Otherwise it’s too easy to find an excuse not to do it because it’s “their” mess, not yours. Whereas if it’s your area then you know it is your RESPONSIBILITY, and it will be harder for you to talk yourself out of tackling the problem.

 

LEARNING TO LET GO: Have garbage bags ready and psych yourself up to fill them! You will need a RUTHLESS attitude, and if you find yourself saying, “But I might use it one day….” Tell yourself that if you were going to use it, you would have by now. It may help you to focus your attention on each item and say to yourself, “Does this make me feel good/positive” or “Does this make me feel bad/negative.” Anything that makes you “ummm and ahh” should be thrown. You’ll have this QUICK assessment down in no time.

 THINGS OTHERS CAN USE: Have a separate bag/box for CHARITY items. Whatever you do, once full, make sure you put the bags straight into your car and actually take it to DONATE at the nearest drop off or charity store right away.

GETTING ON A SCHEDULE: Give yourself a set amount of TIME to complete your jobs. If you need to, break down your tasks on a “to do” list.

DON’T PUSH TOO HARD: Reward yourself with a cup of coffee or tea every hour or so, then make sure you get back into it. You will find out soon that you are on a roll and won’t want to quit.

RE-ARRANGING: You may need to find new, more APPROPRIATE homes for some of the items you keep. Compile a designated area for LIKE objects. For example, a bathroom box for soaps, hair products, makeup, a book and magazine box, kitchen box and misc. box.

DO IT NOW: Make sure you put any NEW items that are brought into the house away immediately. Don’t listen if you hear yourself saying, “I don’t have time, or I’ll do it later” -just do it! You can make time and get into the HABIT if you want to. It’s all about getting into a new routine. Before you know it, you do it without even thinking!

THAT VOICE IN YOUR HEAD: Be conscious of your old MINDSET, which may try to prevent you from moving onto a better place. Remember to be able to keep on top of the de-cluttering you have done and not end up back where you started in a very short amount of time. It really does take a change in mindset. Be conscious of the old EXCUSES you used to make to yourself. You need to get away from the old “I’ll do it later” and “I don’t have time” excuses you used to use.

A NEW WAY OF THINKING: Replace those old excuses – if you hear yourself saying these things when, for example, you have an item in your hand to put away, something to find a new home for, or mail to file, say instead, “It will save me time later on. I will feel better if I do it now,” and so on………….

YOU CAN DO IT: It really is a matter of mind over matter. As hard as it seems or as tired as you are, or as much as everyone else in the family isn’t doing their bit, we simply need to accept that it will take a little bit of EFFORT on our part to get anywhere. Learn to tell the difference between your excuses and real REASONS for not being able to stay organized.

IT WILL HAPPEN: The gains will come – rest assured that if you do make the necessary CHANGES in mindset and habits, in no time at all, it won’t feel like a chore. Rather, it will become part of your ROUTINE, that you will do it without thinking and you will definitely feel better about.

Author, Blogger, and Professional Organizer, Cindy Haugland is available to answer your questions, provide helpful tips, schedule speaking/teaching sessions, or schedule professional cleaning or organizing if you reside in central Minnesota. You can contact Cindy by visiting her website at www.TidyTightwads.com Tune in for Part II of this post in a couple days called: “Living the Clutter-Free Life”

Please share your organizing tips, clutter frustrations, or any other ideas or stories you may have. We love to hear from you.

Sandbox Treasure Hunt

 Our kids love hunting for sandbox treasures all summer long, and it creates hours of free entertainment. Each spring we clean out the sandbox and add a bunch of new sand to replace the depleted supply. After it’s filled with sand, I make a trip to the dollar store for some waterproof treasures to hide in the sand. I buy a bag of plastic animals, marbles, and/or sea shells. Then I get a roll of pennies and maybe a silver dollar. I hide these items in the sand for the kids to dig for all summer long. You don’t have to “buy” things, however. Take a trip through your old toys and games for game pieces, tokens, fast-food toys, marbles, shells, etc.

Our kids’ friends love coming to our house to dig with our kids, and they are always excited to find things. Our rule is if you find it, you can keep it.  Have you done this? What other items do you hide? Do you have a fun idea to share that’s free and entertaining for kids during the warmer months? Please share!

Cooperative Buying

With budgets tight and food prices going up, people are looking for ways to stretch their grocery budgets through bulk buying, freezer cooking, gardening, and cooperative food sharing. There are many programs out there for cooperative food purchase, and in Minnesota where I live the Fare for All program is awesome. This program is NOT based on income, but rather the power of bulk purchases of fresh produce, meat, and other items. I have participated in this program many times, and find the prices and food quality to be great. There are 87 food distribution sites across the state each month, so click on the link above to find one near you. The more people who participate means more savings for everyone. Wondering what was in the packs this past month? ( Paid about $50 for $90+ worth food) Here’s what we ended up with after we purchased the meat pack, veggie pack, regular pack, and monthly special:

3 bags of potatoes

3 bags of onions

2 bags of carrots

2 heads cauliflower

2 containers of cherry tomatoes

2 bunches of celery

dozen oranges

dozen apples

6 pound ham

2 (1 lbs) hamburger

2 pounds bacon

4 packs of skinless, boneless chicken breast

1 pack chicken legs

1 frozen French silk  cheesecake

2 cans corn

2 cans peaches

1 large can yams

1 box elbow macaroni

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