Works for Me Wednesday
Works for me wednesday … blanket weaning
Aug 31st
How to Blanket Wean
Wow – that just sounds funny. Certainly never though I’d be talking about blanket weaning!
Evan did not have attachments.
He used a pacifier but at one year, he decided he was done with it and he threw out.
He did not carry animals around.
And he was not interested in blankets.
Megan on the other, is a different child. She’s attached to everything.
She wants to go to sleep with a dozen animals.
She wants a pacifier in her mouth and another in her hand just in case (I’m kidding, but you get the picture).
And she wants her blanket. She wants HER blanket. Not A blanket. Not ANY blanket. She wants HER blanket – a blue, yellow & white stripped blanket.
I, on the other hand, am SO sick of that blanket!! I’m tired of carrying it around. I’m tired of having to know where it is at every second of the day. I am so sick of that blanket! So for the past couple of months we’ve been on a blanket wean.
What’s a blanket wean you might ask?
Basically I cut the blanket! First, I cut it in half. Then, a few weeks later, I cut the halves in half. And now? I’m cutting those in half too!
It’s getting smaller & smaller and she hasn’t seemed to notice or care.
The Pros:
- Since it’s smaller, it doesn’t drag on the floor – yay!
- I can also wash them more often because there’s more to go around – double yay!!
The Cons:
- I guess there’s a chance that the sentimental side of me will be sad one day that I’ve totally butchered my daughter’s favorite blanket. But the practical side of me says “you’re not that sentimental anyways” – ha!
Now to just work on that pacifier – any tricks for that?
- Post linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.
Works for me wednesday … non-plasticy favors
Aug 17th
UNplastic Party Favors
I honestly have nothing against the cheap, plastic toys that are given away as most birthday party favors.
I get it.
I do.
They’re cheap.
They’re easy.
You can buy them in bulk and to match your theme.
So while I have nothing against them, I’m just not a fan.
This year, at Evan & Megan’s Party, we had about 45 people but only 9 different families represented.
So, I decided to give a “family favor” instead of little individual ones.
I went with Cookies in a Jar!
Since it was a low number, I could spend a little more time and maybe a little more money on each one.
The good news is I decided on something that still wasn’t too costly! It did take a little time & it’s definitely not near as easy as all the pretty pictures you see make it out to be – but whatever is?? Right?
Orange & white were our primary party colors. So with a little ribbon and some bulk orange colored M&M’s, it fit right in!
And here’s hoping both the guests & their moms liked it!
I used the recipe & inspiration from the wonderful Bakerella.
This post is part of the It’s a {month long} Party! Click here for all posts in this series.
- Post linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.
Works for me wednesday … ebates
Aug 10th
Save Money for Christmas While You Buy Presents Throughout the Year!
Sounds great right?
And better yet it’s totally possible. All it involves is a little planning, which sometimes I admit I’m not that great at.
You know I’ve spoken before of my love for Swagbucks. And aside from earning Swagbucks while you search, one of the other great features is that you can earn Swagbucks while you shop! So, buy shopping at popular online stores (the only catch is beginning your purchase at Swagbucks) you can earn & then use those later for Christmas!!
If Swagbucks isn’t your thing, another great site is Ebates! Same concept (without the searching). Just start your purchase at the Ebates site and you’ll earn Ebates on the purchases you make!
There’s over 1200 online stores affiliated with Ebates!
And it gets better … if you’re not signed up, you can sign up today & receive $5 Cash Back or a $10 Gift Card … just for signing up!!
Just think. All the Birthday Presents you buy throughout the year could be saving you money on Christmas Presents in December!
This post is part of the It’s a {month long} Party! Click here for all posts in this series.
- Post linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.
Disclosure: Affiliate links included in this post – so you save money, I make money & then you go tell someone else & make some money too … and everyone’s happy:)
Works for me wednesday … birthday freebies
Aug 3rd
Birthday Freebies!
I just love getting a mailbox full of freebies in celebration of my birthday – don’t you? Who doesn’t?!?
MommySnacks is celebrating her birthday this month with a month long series of Birthday Freebies & Clubs. She’s highlighting companies each day! I’ve already signed up for two that I didn’t know about, so make sure you don’t miss her series!
But this month my mailbox isn’t getting full of freebies for me.
It’s getting full of freebies & discounts for little people! And they’re just as exciting!
Here’s a couple of my Birthday Freebies for Kids’ favorites that are all in my email box right now:
Kidorable ~ A 25% Off Coupon for signing up with their Birthday Club.
Build A Bear ~ A Free Accessory to Celebrate!
LeapFrog ~ 20% Off an Order of $20 or More
Chuck E. Cheese – 20 Free Tokens
So, I know I’ve got to be missing lots! What are some of you favorite Birthday Freebies or Discounts for Kids?
This post is part of the It’s a {month long} Party! Click here for all posts in this series.
- Post linked to Works For Me Wednesday at We are That Family.
Top ten tuesday … weightloss tips
Jul 26th
- Image via Wikipedia
Top Ten Weight-loss Tips
Last Friday, I posted that I was 0.8lbs away from my goal weight. I am so close to seeing “that number” that I’ve wanted to see for a while now. I am by no means an expert and believe me, I have failed multiple times even with my own advice, but here’s the Top Ten Weigh-Loss Tips that have worked for me!
1. Drink Water – And lots and lots of water. I always knew it was important and of course it made sense that the more you drink the more your body will waste, but someone also just explained it to me that without enough water, your body will basically go into dehydration mode. When this happens it starts storing everything you eat because your body is afraid it’s starting to dehydrate. Our bodies are super smart!! God’s smart like that!
2. Eat Breakfast - I admit, I go through phases with this. I’m either really good or really bad. But it’s definitely important. And NO – “breakfast” should not involve a drive through every day of the week!! Or a candy bar, coke or left over pizza! I mean a real breakfast. I like egg-white omelets with mushrooms and a side of fruit. Or if I’m in a hurry then I at least have some whole wheat toast with fruit to get out the door quickly.
3. Keep a Food Journal - I was never a big believer in these. Not because they didn’t work but because I didn’t want to be “that” eye opening to myself. But it helps! The biggest thing for me is that I know what I’ve fed my body for the day and what I still need to feed it.
4. Keep a Mindless Eating Bag – I read this tip and thought it was brilliant. Most moms are constantly around food. If we’re not making a meal, then we’re cleaning one up, preparing a snack, packing a school lunch, or preparing for the next meal. We are constantly put in situations of “mindless eating”. You know, one handful of gold fish crackers here, a few chips there, an extra bite of this and an extra bite of that. Instead of eating it, throw the food into a zip lock bag. And then at the end of the day or week see how much extra calories you saved from resisting that urge!
5. Plan – Menu Meal Planning helps so much with this. Not just dinners, but plan your breakfast, lunch and even snacks. That way you’ll definitely have all ingredients on hand and you’ll be prepared!
6. Weigh Yourself Regularly – This will likely be different for every person, but I do think it’s important to own a scale and use it! Whether it’s every day, every other day, every week or every other week – just weigh in!
7. Take Measurements – There will be plenty of weeks when you were certain you’d lose weight and you weigh in to find out that the scale hasn’t budged! Take measurements at the beginning and then whenever needed thereafter. It’s very probable that on those weeks you didn’t lose weight, you did lose inches instead!
8. Allow for some Wiggle Room – Not everyone can be completely strict all the time. It’s just not right! So, give yourself a break … just get back on board!
9. Eat Real Food - You CAN lose weight without eating “diet” foods. I’ve eaten some protein bars and I’ve had some “diet” drinks along my journey, but everything else has been basically real. Lots of fruits, veggies, and proteins. Nothing else in a box labeled “diet”!
10. Get Help if Needed – I’ve been on my weightloss journey for over a year now. I lost thirty pounds all on my own (well with a nutritional book but nothing else) last year but started gaining some back this year. I did not want to go down that cycle again. And then I just couldn’t seem to kick start the loss again. I needed help. I needed a good kick start that I couldn’t give myself. So this year I got help! I weigh in regularly at a center, show them my food journals and they cheer me on or help me correct what I’ve messed up. It’s ok to ask for help!
So, what about you – do you have any Weigh-Loss Tips?
- Post linked to Top Ten Tuesday at ohAmanda.
- Post linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.
Works for me wednesday … the shoe bin
Jul 20th
The Shoe Bin
You would think I have a contract with Rubbermaid as many times as I’ve talked about bins recently.
First there was the Party Bin.
The came the Gift Bin.
And today, I bring you the Shoe Bin.
Actually a “bin” doesn’t give it enough justice, but “A Cute Little Decorative Office Bin turned Shoe Bin” just doesn’t have the same ring to it!
After Megan started wearing shoes, I quickly became tired of constantly trying to find matching sets for both her & Evan. I had a cute little decorative office bin that wasn’t getting much use so I put in our Family Room. It’s not big – only about 8″x11″ but it is deep. And most importantly it holds several pairs of children’s shoes at a time. And in the winter, socks too!
The best part is that Evan & Megan both know exactly where their shoes go once they take them off & where to find them when they need them.
Plus, since it’s cute, it can go in our Family Room and it’s handy to grab them out the door or throw them in when we come back home!
What’s your trick to keeping shoes together and handy?
- Post linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.
Works for me wednesday … the gift bin
Jul 13th
The Gift Bin
Two weeks ago I talked a little bit about my Party Bin and you guys gave me some more great ideas & tips to make it even better. So, I’m hoping we might be able to help each other out again!
Now I’ve heard of people having Gift Closets before & believe me I wish I had one, but space is much to be desired and frankly I don’t have enough. So I resort to a Gift Bin. It still fills the same concept and idea.
Do you have a gift bin (or are you one of the lucky ones with a closet)?
I have a large rubbermaid container. It gets filled on a regular basis with a variety of different things. Usually clearance items. And yes, even some re-gifting items!! My rule is if it still has tags, can’t be used and can’t be returned then I’ll re-gift, – But I suppose the re-gifting issue is a whole other post!
I’ve taken advantage of several Bath & Body Works’ sales to stock up on lotions & body sprays. At just three dollars (or less) I’ll fill my bin up with those and then I have something on hand for an unexpected Sunday School Teacher gift {because my children can be tough and I try to offset that with gifts & goodies!!}.
I’ll also stock up on baby gift items, stationary, and just random toys. Especially goodie bag type toys that I can pull out for special prizes. I do my best to stock up on items for Christmas and birthday presents throughout the year as well – if it’s a good price and someone can use it that I’ll be buying for anyways … in the bin it goes!
But I love my little bin, it’s my go-to place for an unexpected (or even the expected) gift!
So if you store gifts throughout the year, what do you store? Do you have a good system I could learn from?
- Post linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.
Group discounts
Jul 6th
Group Discounts
I’m lucky enough to be near a big city without being in a big city. Which means, I get to take advantage of all the wonderful things the city has to offer! And with lots of things to offer, comes lots of good deals! Have you heard of Groupon? It’s basically an online group discount. All you have to do is sign up & subscribe to their daily emails (it’s not annoying, I promise – it’s an awesome deal each day that you either like & purchase or you don’t & you delete it).
Another favorite one in Atlanta (and they’re in lots of other cities as well) is Living Social - same concept just different deal each day!
There’s also another one called Tipper – this one’s still fairly new so honestly the deals aren’t that great, but I’m still signed up just in case.
I’ve seen 50% off membership at the Center for Puppetry Arts, 60%+ off great restaurants, Spa Treatments & even house & lawn services! And don’t just think about the city that you live in. If you’re going to San Diego, DC or another large city on vacation soon, you can sign up or just be sure to check their deals leading up to your stay. It could be a perfect way to save money on a trip!
Do you have other ones in your hometown? If so, leave a name or link in the comments & I’ll have to see if they’re in Atlanta too.
And Bloggers – All of the ones listed above have Affiliate programs! If you use them or love them, make sure you’re signed up as an Affiliate! You can get widgets or just use text links!
*Disclosure – Yes, the links above are Affiliate links. If everyone I know actually signed up through those links, I might be able to pull off a free ice cream cone! But the links, don’t change the fact that I really enjoy theses sites & look forward to my daily deals!
- Post linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.
- Post linked to Frugal Friday at Life As Mom.
Works for me wednesday … the party bin
Jun 29th
Creating a Party Bin
I kind of have a small obsession for cute paper products – adorable napkins primarily. They get me every time!! And ones on sale usually make them completely irresistible.
Several years ago I decided to purchase a large rubbermaid & create what I call my “Party Bin”. It stays filled with either left-over or still new paper goods. Plastic cups, utensils, paper plates, and of course lots of adorable little napkins! It’s my go-to bin! Without any notice and no additional money I could easily pull off a baby boy shower or another Bee-Themed birthday party. I’m all stocked up for any Christmas parties I might host next year. And just this past Saturday, we had an impromptu World Cup Party with all the black & white decorations & paper products I had in the bin!
Here’s some tips to create your own party bin:
1. Purchase a good size Rubbermaid type container.
2. Buy after season - Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day … when the products are clearanced snag them for next year!
3. Buy solid colors – Yes, I like cute little napkins but it’s really best to buy solid colors. Red napkins go on sale after Valentine’s Day and after Christmas. But there’s a good chance I’ll host a birthday party, baby shower, or something similar where I can use red napkins. So think outside of the reason that they’re actually on sale.
4. Buy at least two packs of something - If it’s a good price I always buy more than one just because I never know what party I’ll use them for or how many guests we’ll have.
5. Think beyond napkins – Anything party related goes in my bin. Extra plastic utensils, goodie/treat bags I find on sale, plastic cups, even random things like streamers or party favors I might find.
6. Think beyond cute - Sure I buy cute things but I also pick up the plain boring “red Solo cups” if they’re on sale too. I can always use those for impromptu music nights where my husband has friends over or to watch a game or something.
Do you have a party bin? What are some tips you have or what types of things do you look for to fill it?
- Post linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.
PDF online
Jun 22nd
How to Create a PDF
Do you ever receive a document in Word and wonder why the layout is so funny? Or worse, do ou ever send an important document in Word and then realize the recipient either can’t open it or if they can open it, the layout is incredibly wonky?
I’ve been a fan of sending PDFs for at least 6 years now. And I’ve been hooked ever since!
I never email a Word file to a client, potential advertiser (think Media Kit), and sometimes even just friends & family. I don’t trust it. If the recipient has a different Word version then there’s no doubt that the layout will be different.
But I’ve also never purchased anything to be able to create PDFs.
I think PDF online is great! It’s completely web-based – nothing to purchase or download.
1. Just visit www.pdfonline.com
2. Select “Doc to PDF”.
3. Then select “Convert Your Doc to PDF”.
4. Then simply follow the steps – Browse for your File, Rename it, and enter an Email Address.
5. Then wait for your email. Typically it’s super quick (less than 2 minutes). If you catch it at a busy time – say 5pm, it might take a while longer.
But really, it’s that easy!
They also have “PDF to Word”, “PDF to HTML” and “Web to PDF”.
Trust me, your recipients will thank you!! And you’ll look much more professional too!!
- Post linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.
