Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Ziplock Your iElectronics

My kindergartener and toddler always want to use my electronics, iPhone and iPad, and I don't mind letting them. What I do mind are the umpteenth fingerprints and nondescript sticky/wet residue found across the screen.

I bought a waterproof protectant for my iPhone once upon a time but never opened it. I stumbled across it recently and put it on my phone. Afterwards I realized that the sealer covered the holes for me to change my phone or connect it to another device. What a waste. 

It randomly occurred to me to put my iElectronics in a ziplock. Before letting my toddler play with the phone, I'd throw it in a sandwich bag that snapped closed. It was a great and quick temp solution & it's portable for car rides & beach trips (we went on one yesterday)! Then I thought, why not extend this idea to the iPad. I just needed a larger ziplock & voila, it works well. 

The kids can have their fun and I don't have to worry about them spilling something on it or transferring whatever is on their little sticky fingers. Now lets just hope they don't drop them too hard!

Sunday, May 26, 2013

MEMORIAL DAY

This day is to celebrate those who have sacrificed and lost their lives for this country. Let's also celebrate those who put their lives in danger for this country but haven't lost it. Here's an idea!

Medallion Heart Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup & Lifer-Juice (coffee)!
Give your soldier a purple heart! or multiples for that matter.




Other Ideas:
Apple Pies in a Mason Jar for your JarHead
Dog Tag mini-candybar

Have fun with it!

Friday, May 17, 2013

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!!!

When Springtime and Summertime return, the first thing my kids and I want to do is grab a popsicle or ice cream. It's always nice when the warmer seasons return. Allergy attacks not included. However, this unpredictable New England weather leaves me in the habit of not ever having any cold treats on reserve for those "just-in-case-it's-hot" moments. Lately, there have been more of those moments than not which forces me to spend more money than I would like to. I waste money on gas and cold treats when I have to constantly make runs to the supermarket to restock or bypass the grocery store altogether and have an off-the-cuff family outing at the local ice cream shoppe.

On my most recent ice cream and popsicle run, I stumbled across a DIY popsickle mould. That's when my light bulb went off! Why hadn't I thought to do this before? After all, that is what I do. I bought the mould and planned to be prepared for the next heat wave.

I used to subscribe to all of those cooking and parenting magazines, once upon a time, when the internet option didn't quite exist. Ah, being a first time mom. I went through some of the articles I saved and stumbled across some popsicle making ideas. These are what I found from a Parenting Magazine from 2008:
Parenting Magazine 2008
Parenting Magazine 2008


Parenting Magazine 2008
Parenting Magazine 2008


In the words of the late Dunkin' Donuts spokesman, "It's time to make the popsicles." Well, not his exact words. Remember to let each tier freeze for an hour, no matter what you put in, before adding the next tier.

Here's what we came up with, Vanilla Yogurt, Apple Juice with Blueberries Popsicle. There are as many possibilities as you can think up!

                                 
Stay cool!