October 5, 2017 by Krista

Halloween Countdown Printable Boredom Jar

This Halloween Countdown Printable Boredom Jar originally appeared on askannamosely.com in 2014 as a contributor post. Content, possibly including links and photos, may have been updated or changed to maintain the integrity and accuracy of this content since it was originally shared.

Are you looking for some new October traditions? Does the witching hour seem to hit even harder once the weather starts to chill? Do you want to celebrate this month but don’t know how to squeeze it in? Then this Halloween Countdown Printable Boredom Jar will be a great addition to your October!

WHO IS THE HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN PRINTABLE BOREDOM JAR FOR?

In less than 30 minutes and with just a handful of materials, you’ll have a whole bunch of fun activities to celebrate this month that you can grab when you need it most. Are you:

looking for some fun new traditions?
just trying to keep the kids from demolishing the house?
fighting to keep cool and sane until bedtime?
making family time a priority this month?

Don’t miss out on all the fun that October has to offer with this fun project the kids can help put together and then use when you need a little fun and family time or a few minutes with the kids occupied.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN PRINTABLE BOREDOM JAR:

Materials Needed:

Clean jar or other container to store the activity slips
FREE download of my KIDS’ HALLOWEEN ACTIVITY JAR
Scissors or paper cutter
Tape or glue to adhere the label to the jar

Directions:

Print out the Halloween Jar Activities.
Cut out each colored rectangle and the square jar label with the scissors or paper cutter.
Fold each activity in half or in fourths, whichever you prefer, and put them in the jar.
Apply the label to the outside of the jar and you’re all set for some Halloween fun!

WANT MORE HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN FUN?

This set includes 10 activities plus the jar label – perfect for a weekend activity or those after school evenings when there’s just a little too much free time, the weather is a little too chilly or you need something to entertain the kiddos for a little bit. If you’d like to download the entire set – which contains 36 activities+a blank template to write in your own traditions and activities. Full set also includes updated labels and full printable instructions – you can get it in my Etsy shop.

Happy October!

October 3, 2017 by Krista

10 Halloween Treats That Aren’t Candy

10 Halloween Treats (that aren’t candy) was originally published in 2013. Content, including links and photos, has been updated to maintain accuracy and working links.

We are no strangers to the sweet tooth in our house. I’ve always had a sweet tooth. which is absolutely the reason I bake more than I cook… but I do try to limit the amount of sugar my kids inhale. And once the holiday season begins, the sweet stuff seems to be everywhere! But these Halloween treats have made apples irresistible and crackers are the new cool snack! Check out these {healthy} Halloween treats from around the web.

10 HALLOWEEN TREATS – THAT AREN’T CANDY!

How insanely adorable are these Silly Apple Monsters found on Fork and Beans?! Protein, fresh fruit and a little sweet treat make these the perfect snack!

These Cracker & Pretzel Spiders via La Jolla Mom are a HUGE hit with the whole family. They are quick, yummy and only 4 ingredients. Can’t beat that!

My kids devour olives like they are life-giving. This Olive Snake via Cute Food for Kids is one of their very favorites. They will even make olive snakes themselves before they eat the olives. These are super fun and delicious with salads.

Cute & Delicious! When I was pregnant with my oldest I craved fresh fruit and veggies. To this day, the kid will still choose broccoli over cookies most of the time. This Veggie Skeleton via Clairey Hewitt would completely make his day. How could you not love eating this?

While my boys aren’t ones that love vegging out on carrot sticks, these Witch Carrot Fingers via Mom on Time Out are just innocently morbid enough that my boys think it’s hilarious to hold the carrots at their knuckle joints and pretend they are eating their (or each other’s…) fingers off. Boys.

My boys struggled a little with these Pumpkin Deviled Eggs via Foodista, simply because they were a little too spicy for their delicate little palates. However, Mr. Napping thought they were just absolutely amazing. He may or may not have eaten half a dozen eggs in one sitting. Whole eggs. Better than a bag of potato chips, though, right?!

This Monster Eye Dip with Monster Apple Mouths via 30 Handmade Days is the ultimate after school snack for my kids. Between the monster eyes, the apple mouths and the fact that they are both delicious it is a no-brainer and a total winner at our house. Yum!

I’m not one that loves hot dogs, but it’s one of those things that is super easy to fix and I know my kids will eat it. Especially if it looks like a bug. This Hot Dog Centipede via Cute Food for Kids is always a favorite quick and easy lunch for my boys. It works wonders when they are going through a phase that makes getting them to eat anything so difficult.

These Clementine Pumpkins & Banana Ghosts via One Little Project are some of my favorite Halloween treats. I don’t love celery, but I don’t even mind it with a tasty clementine. And the chocolate with the banana… mmm, yum! Besides, these are super easy and quick to make and a great way to get my kids to eat a little more fruit.

(as mentioned on One Little Project, I couldn’t track down the original source for this idea. Almost every pin or google image I looked at was the same photo – not this photo though – but they all linked to different sites. So, I choose this tutorial since Debbie has such a great set of directions.)

HALLOWEEN CAN BE HEALTHY… OR AT LEAST HEALTHIER

While my kids love fruits and veggies, and it’s usually not a fight to get my boys to eat them, they still REALLY like candy too. Despite my best efforts, I’m sure they will still eat their weight in candy this month, and in cookies and goodies in the months to come. But, at least (maybe? hopefully?) I can get a few good Halloween treats in them too with these super cute Halloween treat ideas and a little less fight to satisfy their sweet teeth (sweet teeth?) … The simplicity of most of these are winners in my book.

September 8, 2017 by Krista

The Best Pumpkin Spice Play Dough Ever

Hi there! Welcome! I’m glad you’re here! Do you ever feel like the two hours after dinner seem to drag on for eternity? Or is that just me?

Everyone is cranky and snappy and whiny. And it’s only 6:11pm.

I’ve found that the best way to deal with this is to distract my kids. If they are busy doing something, they aren’t fighting.

Usually.

If they aren’t fighting, I can cross a couple things off my to-do list. Like the the dishes or picking up toys or laundry. There’s always laundry.

This play dough has been my go-to lately. It’s fun, it’s easy and it smells amazing. Sure, it dries your hands out a bit, but that’s just the excuse you were looking for to give yourself a little DIY mani after the kids are in bed, right?

PUMPKIN SPICE PLAY DOUGH

Pumpkin Spice Play Dough Ingredients

1 cup salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
extra flour (I added about another 1/2 cup)
orange food coloring (I used red and yellow)

Pumpkin Spice Play Dough Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the salt, water, flour, and spice over low medium heat. Stir to combine. Texture should be like glue.
Turn off the heat and add the food coloring to get the shade you desire. I put in about 15 yellow drops and about 10 red drops. You can adjust the ratio to your liking.
Mix until well combined and texture is smooth.
Add additional flour, approximately 1/4 cup at a time and mix until the paste becomes a dough. It should form a ball and be slightly difficult to stir.
Remove from heat and let the dough cool a bit. It will be hot.
Sprinkle flour generously on counter top and, as soon as the play dough is cool enough to handle, dump the dough on the floured counter top and knead in the flour until it is no longer sticky. Keep adding flour until you reach your desired consistency.

Store in an air-tight container or ziptop bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal. Play dough keeps for 4-6 months, depending on environment.

Tips & Tricks to get the most out of your Pumpkin Spice Play Dough

Older kids can totally help with this, especially the kneading part. Just make sure the play dough is cool enough for them to handle.
The cream of tartar will help preserve the dough, so don’t skip it if you want it to last longer. If you just need a few play sessions or a one-time-use activity, you can omit it.
There is nothing in this play dough that will harm your kids if ingested, although it won’t taste very good. So… they probably won’t eat much of it and will only try it once. There’s the silver lining.
We love using cookie cutters when we play with play dough. I especially love this set of cutters – there’s a full set of letters that are perfect for some fun letter practice, a great variety of holiday shapes and some fun everyday shapes – like animals and transportation – too.

September 6, 2017 by Krista

30+ Healthy & Low-Prep Snack Ideas for the Busy, Pregnant Mom

Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows there’s a lot of information on eating healthy while you’re growing that little babe. The do list, the don’t list, the healthy recipes and even how often you should eat and drink. But sometimes all of that is easier said than done. I get that, really I do. When you’re eating every couple of hours or less, it can be hard to plan all that out. Eating that often means you need lots of snack ideas that are low-prep or you’ll be in the kitchen for the remainder of your pregnancy. I’ve got just what you need…

THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY SNACK IDEAS DURING PREGNANCY

I’m 8 months pregnant with my 3rd baby. I’m not a newbie to this pregnancy thing.

This wasn’t an unforeseen complication. It could have been prevented.

I know all the do’s and don’t’s. I know the importance of staying hydrated and fed.

But, last week I ended up spending about four hours in the hospital.

It was a busy morning getting Big J off to preschool and Little J had absconded with about half my breakfast… because, it’s always better off Mommy’s plate, or something. I was so busy I didn’t realize what I was depriving myself – and my baby – of. Food. Fuel.

PRIORITIES DON’T HAVE TO BE TIME CONSUMING

It can be so easy to get so busy that things just slip by us. Mom life is a busy life. It can happen to any of us. So, learn from my oversight, my busy mistake, my imperfect mom life.

And keep this list of healthy, low-prep snack ideas on hand for the next time you make out your grocery list or just need some ideas.

It’s the perfect solution when nothing really sounds good. Or maybe you’re so full of baby, you don’t feel hungry. Whatever the case, pregnancy can be hard enough – let’s make it a little easier.

After some research and brush up from all those health classes I took once upon a time, I came up with a list of snacks that are easy to make with little to no prep and are healthy. I’ve divided them into categories: high in iron, high in calcium and high in protein. Some of them appear in more than one section.

Snack Ideas High in Protein

– Cottage Cheese and Fruit
– Jerky (choose a low-sodium, low-sugar brand or make your own)
– Mixed Nuts or Trail Mix
– Eggs
– Deli Meat (choose one low in sodium and preservatives. Put it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to be safe, if you’re pregnant)
– Protein Shakes or Bars
– Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (here’s a Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie recipe, a Cranberry Almond Oatmeal Cookie recipe and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookie recipe – try them all! The cranberry almond is my favorite though. And hang on to these after baby is born. Oatmeal can give you a boost while you’re lactating too!)
– Hummus and Veggie Dippers
– Cheese and Crackers
– Chocolate Milk
– Greek Yogurt and Fruit
– Peanut Butter or other nut butter (low-fat and crunchy is best)
– Soy Nuts
– Roasted Edamame
– Tuna (eat sparingly while pregnant)
– Lentils (a yummy, pre-cooked bean salad, perhaps?)
– Oatmeal (pre-packaged flavored packets are super simple and quick!)

Snack Ideas High in Calcium

– Leafy Greens
– Low-fat Cheese
– Milk
– Yogurt or Greek Yogurt
– Broccoli
– Okra
– Green Beans
– Almonds
– Fortified Cereals
– Fortified Orange Juice
– Soybeans
– Enriched breads
– Oranges
– Oatmeal
– Milkshake
– Omelette
– Cream Cheese on Enriched Bagel

Snack Ideas High in Iron

* If you eat high vitamin C foods with these, your body will better absorb the iron.

– Raisins and Peanuts
– Whole Grain Cereal
– Jerky
– Protein Bars and Shakes
– Meat (Chicken, Beef, Fish – Add these to meals or salads)
– Dark Chocolate (at least 80%)
– Dried Apricots
– Potatoes
– Quinoa
– Beans (black, kidney – on Nachos made with whole grain chips and low-fat cheese or in a salad)
– Broccoli
– Enriched Pasta
– Rice
– Artichokes
– Dried Fruits

What’s your favorite, easy snack? Give me your ideas in the comments!

Do you want a printable version of this list? CLICK HERE to Sign up to get it in your inbox!

July 20, 2017 by Krista

5 Money Saving Tips that will Help you Have More Cash

Hey there! I’m so glad you’re here! Thanks for stopping by. So, you’re looking for some ways to keep a little more cash in your wallet, right? But, if you’re anything like me, you don’t have a lot of time to spend clipping coupons, chasing down deals or mailing in rebates. Can you really still save money and find good deals, keeping more cash in your pockets? Of course! And I’ve got 5 money saving tips to help you do just that!

TIME IS MONEY. SPEND BOTH WISELY.

You’ve heard that before, right? Time is money. My husband used to say this to me ALL THE TIME because I’d take on projects that were costing me so much time, it wasn’t worth the money I was making on them. The same is true of some of the most popular money saving tips and techniques out there.

To be blunt, that pretty much sums up how I feel about couponing. You’ve probably seen photos where the proud purchaser has 12 bottles of juice, 18 tubes of toothpaste, 4 bottles of shampoo and 28 boxes of birthday candles that cost a whopping $19.38, right? While impressive, where would I put 28 boxes of birthday candles? And I’m picky about my shampoo.

Basically, extreme couponing isn’t for me. Know yourself and figure out what will work for you.

NOT EVERYONE SAVES MONEY THE SAME WAY

These are ways I help my family save money. I definitely didn’t use these same money saving tips when I was a college student. And another mom may not use the same methods in her family that I use in mine. Figure out what will work for your situation and do it! If something is helping you keep more money in your wallet, that’s all that matters.

Use these tips, adjust these tips or just plain ignore them. Do what works for YOU and forget what doesn’t. Maybe you try something new and discover it isn’t for you. That’s okay, now you know. Knowing what doesn’t work can help you save just as much money as knowing what does work.

5 MONEY SAVING TIPS TO KEEP MORE CASH IN YOUR WALLET

Money. Everyone wants more. But, when you’re trying to make ends meet, it can seem so much more important than just a lofty goal and a wild ambition. It feels like sink or swim. No one wants to sink. Whether your trying to pay the rent, get out of debt or inflate your savings account, here are 5 money saving tips to help you keep more green in your wallet TODAY.

MONEY SAVING TIP #1: MEAL PLAN

I don’t know about you, but our food budget is one of the largest parts of our monthly expenses. It’s not quite up there with the mortgage yet; but, it rivals our car payment, and sometimes surpasses it. Feeding my four guys is much more affordable when I plan out our meals. I use these printables and plan one or two weeks at a time. This stops us from buying food we’ll end up throwing out because we didn’t have a plan for it and it’s gone bad. It also helps us not eat out as often.

MONEY SAVING TIP #2: SHOP WITH A LIST

One of the small things that actually helps us save money is to use a list when we go shopping, and not just to the grocery store. We make a list of items to buy before we go into any store, generally speaking. I do this when I’m shopping online too. It’s so easy to add those little extra things to your cart. “It’s only $5.” Even if it’s just $5 a week, that’s $20 a month. But, think how far that $20 could go on your grocery budget or the diaper budget. You know, money you actually need to spend.

I keep a list on my fridge and when we run out of something or need to replace something, I add it to the list. Shampoo, toilet paper, new socks, contact solution – not just groceries. I meal plan and then make a grocery list from our meal plan so we aren’t buying things we don’t need. Shopping with a list helps us only spend money on things we actually need, and not on impulse buys.

MONEY SAVING TIP #3: COUPON APPS

I’m not a big couponer, really I’m not. But, there are some coupon apps that make it easy to use rebates or coupons. I like a lot of these apps because you don’t have to do the coupon redemption while you’re at the store. My faves are:

Ibotta. I mainly use Ibotta for groceries, but they have a lot of other offers too. You can find offers for multiple stores and you have up to two weeks to upload a receipt and get the rebate. I try to upload my receipt when I’m putting my purchases away at home.
Restaurants and fast food. If you frequent a particular restaurant, you might as well be using their loyalty program. Capriotti’s and Costa Vida are really the only ones I use, but it helps make our occasional meals out a little more affordable.
Retail stores. It seems every store has an app, right? The ones I use offer a little something extra usually. Walmart (for their savings catcher), Costco (for the member coupons) and Target (for their cartwheel coupons only available in the app). If I’m in a particular store, I might download their app while I’m there and see if there are any coupons available. I especially do this for craft stores.

MONEY SAVING TIP #4: AUTOMATE YOUR SHOPPING

If you routinely buy something, automate that! Not only will it take the task off your to-do list, it can save you a trip to the store. Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program will have these things show up on your doorstep when you need them with ZERO EXTRA EFFORT FROM YOU. That’s something this busy mom can get behind. You can save up to 15% when you use the Subscribe & Save option and there are over 100,000 products available for Subscribe & Save.

Walmart has introduced same-day pick up at some of their locations. You do your shopping online, submit your order, and then you can pick it up later that day. They’ll even bring it out to your car for you. If you have a hard time sticking to a shopping list, something like this could be really helpful.

MONEY SAVING TIP #5: NO-SPEND CHALLENGE

In my house, with all the testosterone floating around, a little competition can accomplish great things. When things get tight or we want to bulk up the bank account, we institute a no-spend challenge.

Follow these 3 steps to have a successful no-spend challenge.

Define the goal. Are you trying to make ends meet, get back on track or get caught up for any reason? Do you need to buckle down and have absolutely no spending? Or are you trying to save money and pad your bank account? Do you need to save as much as you can or a set amount? Figuring this out will help with the next step.
Set your rules. No spending at all or just the bills? What about groceries or gas? When does your challenge start? When does it end? Set rules so everyone knows what is expected.
Evaluate your challenge. Once your challenge is over, evaluate how you did. Did you stick with your rules? Did you accomplish your goal? How could you have done better?

BONUS MONEY SAVING TIP: KNOW WHEN TO BUY IN BULK

Warehouse stores can be great. But, it’s so hard to get out of there without spending $100, am I right? Will you really eat all of those 5 lbs of strawberries or will you end up throwing away half of them because you can’t eat them fast enough? Do you have somewhere to store that 36 pack of toilet paper? There are definitely things worth buying in bulk from a warehouse store. If it doesn’t have an expiry date (like toilet paper), you’re probably pretty safe.

Check bulk items at grocery stores too! You don’t need 5 pounds of baking soda from the warehouse store, but it’s usually a lot cheaper to refill your baking soda container than it is to buy a new one. And you can buy as much or as little as you need. Dry goods are a great place to save buying in bulk. Candy is another good one because you can get just a little bit and it’s cheaper than checkout stand goodies.

PUT THE CASH BACK IN YOUR WALLET TODAY!

So, there’s 5 money saving tips I use keep more cash for my family. Some of those may not work for you, and that’s okay. Try another one. Remember time is money. Spend both wisely. If it doesn’t work, it’s okay to move on. But, these methods won’t bulk up your bank account over night. Try these strategies for at least 30 days to see what they can really do for you and your family. It might seem like just $5 today, but you might be surprised to find it’s a $20 pack of diapers by the end of the month. Go see how much cash you can hang on to!

Want more tips and tricks to help your family? CLICK HERE to get them in your inbox every week!

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