Mother’s Day is coming up and Personalrecipecards.com could be your source for some really simple yet cute gift ideas.  One idea that comes to mind is a stack of the printable daily to do lists.  Add some ribbon and a cute pen and it’s ready to go. Personally I love the downloadables section.  I can print what I need when I need it. I downloaded the daily to do list.  I really like the design.  I can print one out in the morning and post it on the fridge. Then it’s visible to access to during the day.  The stationary is cute too and would be great for letters to grandma from the kids.  You can find lots of other fun stuff too from recipe cards to birthday invitations.  Check it out!

Caesar Salad Dressing

I got this recipe from a dear friend several years ago.  I keep it in my recipe box on the pink scrap of paper I wrote it on when I was 17.  Lots of friends and family members have asked for it over the years and I’m ready to share.

1 TBSP Minced Garlic

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1 Egg

2 TBSP Lemon Juice

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1.2 tsp. Salt

1.2 tsp. Pepper

Mix in blender and enjoy!

In the first week I was amazed.  My kids were so eager to help and were almost fighting over who’s turn it was to make dinner.  I have 3 children and we  decided to rotate.  The best night seems to be Monday because you get to choose the treat for Family Night.  My oldest child was first to cook.  He did wonderful!  We all cheered at the dinner table and decided he earned 5 stars for that meal. (that has now become a tradition and every night the kids ask how many stars they earned)  The next night was my second son’s turn.  Now mind you, he is our pickiest eater.  He has come a long way, but there is still a long road to travel for him.  I was a little nervous, but to my surprise he actually ate what we fixed.  Yay! A mother’s silent prayer had been answered.  And not only did he eat dinner that night, he has eaten all kinds of new things in the last few weeks.  Everything from steak to spaghetti with meat sauce.

Three weeks later I have to say I really think it is worth it.  It’s not easy, and there are days I miss having my own time in the kitchen while I prepare a meal.  But I’m glad to be shaping my children in a good way.  I love to see their eager faces as I tell them it’s their turn to sprinkle the cheese on the pizza or roll out the tortilla dough. They are even learning how to read a recipe. In fact a few days ago, while I chatted on the phone with my sister in law, the boys worked together and made the meat sauce for our spaghetti all by themselves.  And that’s from scratch…

Advise for those who may want to try this?  Decide what works best for you.  Start out slow if you need to. I jumped right in, but if it’s better for you, pick one night a week to have the kids help. This way you won’t get burned out quickly.  Maybe let your child pick their favorite meal to help fix.  Plan to spend more time in the kitchen than you would if you were preparing the meal yourself. Also, explain everything as you are doing it.  Children are like sponges.  They soak it all up.  My four year old now knows what a recipe is, she knows what a measuring spoon is, and she knows that to make a meal you need ingredients.  My ten year old knows what a pastry cutter is and how to use it. And my seven year old knows that the number one rule in the kitchen is to wash your hands.  He also knows most all of the ingredients in chocolate chip cookies!  My last piece of advice is to feel good that you are shaping our future one step at time.  You are creating children that will be independent and know how to fix their own meals someday.  And you’ll be building relationships with your children that no microwaved T.V. dinner will ever do.

Do you have you kids help in the kitchen? What works for you? Let us know in the comments section below.

UPDATE: Here is the video that I referenced:

Often times as a mom I get so caught up in everyday life that I forget to compliment my children.  I am so lucky to have 3 wonderful children, yet it seems that the day to day business of life gets in the way of letting them know that.  Children are very driven by what adults, especially ones who care about them think.  They rely on our feedback and it helps them in everyday situations.  It also sets and example for them to pass on compliments and kids words to others.

This thought prompted me to set a goal and come up with a simple plan.  Each day when my kids come to me for a morning hug, I give them a compliment.  Maybe it’s  as simple as “good job for not getting out of bed after I tucked you in last night.” Or maybe it’s “I love the way you always wake up so happy.”  What ever it is, I try to make it meaningful.  I’m sure they won’t remember every single nice word I say to them in the morning, but my hope is that they will know that I love them, and I appreciate who they are. It’s always nice to have a positive start to the morning too!

Another benefit to doing this is that by my example they may see a friend who needs a lift and give them a compliment.  What goes around comes around.  Let’s keep raising good kids!

I have always considered myself a frugal shopper.  When I got married 13+ years ago I began to shop the way I had watched my mother shop as I grew up.  I’ve clipped coupons and always looked for the cheapest item on the shelf.  I’ve always checked the ads and bought in bulk to get the most out of my dollar.  However, several months ago I heard about a few websites that detailed exactly how to pinch that penny even harder and decided to give them a try.  Using coupons to the fullest and really budgeting has helped our family a lot.  If you want to get started saving on your grocery bill, here are some things to think about.  And consider that even small savings can add up.  Just saving $5 a week can mean $260 at the end of a year.

• Set a budget. If you don’t give yourself limits you won’t know when to stop.  It may take a little time to figure out the right dollar amount and that’s ok.  A little tweaking here and there is totally understandable and you will start to learn just how much your family can survive on.  This may be a weekly budget or a monthly budget but start with something.  All You magazine recently posed a challenge to feed your family on $25 per person per week.  That might be a good starting point.

• Buy the Sunday paper. I have never been one to subscribe to the paper.  We can do all of the reading we need online when it comes to the latest happenings in the world.  But I do buy the Sunday paper for the coupons.  In fact I buy the early edition on Saturday while I’m out running errands.  It doesn’t have all the news the Sunday paper does, but it still carries all the same ads and coupons.  And since I don’t buy it for the news, this isn’t an issue for me.  I occasionally pick up more than one copy depending on what’s inside.

• Check for online coupons. There are many great sites that offer printable coupons.  Sometimes they are even of greater value than those in the paper.  One of my favorites is coupons.com.

• Clip coupons. Once you have bought the paper and checked the internet you need to clip and store the coupons that are inside.  There are many different systems for filing coupons. Personally I have two pocket size file folders.  I keep one for food items and the other for non food items.  I alphabetize them according to the brand name of the product.   It is important to keep up to date on this.  I tend to get behind at times and find myself shuffling through a big stack to find that one coupon I know I have.  Once you have decided on a filing system you will need to check once a month for expired coupons.  It’s of no use to keep coupons that are expired.  Clipping coupons does take time, but the average coupon clipper saves $7 a week for 10 minutes of clipping.  Is that worth it to you? It is to me.

• Use the coupons. Now that you have clipped and filed the coupons you need to use them.  There are so many methods for using coupons.  You need to find a method that works best for you.  Maybe you like the way you shop and are just into saving a few dollars.  Use your coupons on things you normally buy to save a bit here and there.  If you are in it to save as much as you can there are some great websites out there to help you match up store ads and coupons.  One in particular that I use is moneysavingmom.com.  This site gives you daily and weekly updates on store sales and coupon match ups. It’s a great way to keep up to date on things and know what the current deals.

• Plan a menu. A great way to save is to plan a menu.  There are several ways to do this.  One way is to print out a blank calendar and fill in the days.  Another is to make a list of meals for any given time.  I tend to alternate back and forth between these two methods.  I know some plan the menu according to what’s on sale during a given time period.  It is a proven fact that those who plan save money.  Try to plan the menu when you are hungry.  It’s easier to think of things to eat that way. I also try to involve the family by letting them pick meals to add to the menu.  However, don’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach or it may backfire.

• Make a shopping list. After you have checked the ads, clipped your coupons, and made your menu, you need to make your shopping list.  Although it’s very tempting to go astray, you need to stick to that list.  There is no point of clipping all those coupons if you are going to waste the money on unnecessary items. For me the only exception is finding a spectacular deal that won’t be there the next shopping trip.  This leads to my next topic.

• Be observant. Once you are out at the store you need to be observant.  I often notice things that are being cleared out at a particular store.  These items are often marked down 50-75%.  I once got yogurt for 12 cents a container because it was marked down and I had a coupon.  That’s a bargain!

• Carry all your coupons with you. If possible you will want to carry your coupons with you.  Doing this works great for times when you find that surprise bargain you did not have on your list.

• Don’t buy items just because you have a coupon. Occasionally this is ok for a treat here and there, but for the most part you need to buy items you would regularly buy.  There is no savings, even with a coupon, if you normally wouldn’t buy that item.

• Buy in larger packages and in bulk. This alone has saved our family a lot of money.  Instead of purchasing several small packages of crackers, I buy one box and divide it up.  This is generally the case for school lunches.  It may take a little more time but it’s worth the savings.  Buying in bulk is generally a great way to go also, but you need to be careful because sometimes a good sale, especially coupled with coupons can beat out a Costco or Sam’s Club price. I have a list of items I frequently buy at Costco.  When I see an item on sale or that has a coupon I compare prices to see which is the better deal.

• Enjoy the journey. It’s not worth the effort if it’s going to be a big stressful task that makes you grumpy.  If you find yourself getting stressed out cut back and take it slowly.  It’s a great thing but it can be overwhelming.  And remember that even saving a little is still better than saving nothing at all.

Using these ideas and adding your own will surely add up to some savings in the grocery department.  You’ll feel a sense of satisfaction and be able to use the money you’ve saved somewhere else. Good Luck!

It’s always a good idea to take a minute or two on Thanksgiving to remember how much we have been blessed with. Making a Thanksgiving jar will be fun for the kids and a great way to remember off of our many blessings.

Have the kids decorate a jar or any type of container.  Make it as simple or elaborate as you like.  Gluing fall colors of tissue paper on the jar looks very pretty.  Or you can decorate the container to look like a Turkey.  Whatever makes you happy.  Set the jar in an area of your home where all can see it.  Next to the jar place some small pieces of paper and something to write with.  As family members think of things they are thankful for they can jot them down and stick them in the container.  Sometime on Thanksgiving Day pull out the container and read what is inside.  Enjoy a great conversation about gratitude with your family.

Here is a very cute Turkey Cookie.  It’s so simple to make, yet adorable.

Frost the top edge of a sugar cookie and add about 7 candy corn.  Give two dabs of frosting and two M&M’s for the eyes. Add a bit more frosting to make the beak and two feet.  Kids of all ages will enjoy making these cookies, and I’ll be they’ll enjoy eating them even more.

It was a simple gesture and Grandma loved it.

All of my kids have loved making these Christmas stockings, and it’s a great way for a young child who isn’t able to write yet to make their list for Santa.

To make this project, cut out a large stocking shape from butcher paper, construction paper, or card stock.  Gather store ads and put them on the table along with scissors and glue.  Have the children cut out the things whey want for Christmas and glue them on the stocking.  You can also add some paper trim on top and help your child write their name on the stocking. Display the stocking for Santa and all to see.