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How To: Microwave Heat Pack

July 13, 2010 By MeganS 28 Comments

this is a repeat, but still a good tutorial!

I have baby fever. I have it bad. Really bad.

I promised myself that before we could start trying for our third child, I would get in shape. I put on 40 lbs when I was pregnant with my 1st, M. I got pregnant with P, our 2nd, just 6 short months after M was born. Six months is not a lot of time to drop 40 lbs, even if you are not caring for a newborn.

P will be 2 in October. I have a lot of excuses as to why I am still carrying all the baby weight…. I will not bore you with them.

I will however share a secret with you.

My key to weight loss.

Yeah, diet and exercise works. Burn more calories than you take in and all that jazz. But for me, the key to weight loss is reward. The first jean size I dropped, I got a haircut. A real one. Not a 15 buck walk-in haircut, a real, make an appointment, get a scalp massage while you get your hair washed haircut.

My rewards lately have been scaled back a bit. We are on a budget and are doing some remodels (posts on that later) so money is tight. So now, I have a much more frugal reward. And let me tell you, it is almost as satisfying as a fancy haircut. My reward? You ask. I tell.

Homemade Heat Packs

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This heat pack is a warm (obviously!), comforting, fragrant muscle relaxer and this is how you make one: [Read more...]

Big Crowds, Little Kids

July 6, 2010 By MeganS 12 Comments

I will start by sharing a few of my tips about wrangling my little ones in big crowds but what I am hoping for out of this post is a lot of comments and tips from all of you readers. Lets start a conversation about this because it is summer travel time and whether you plan on being a tourist or if your town becomes flooded with tourists in the summer, it is always good to have a plan when you are dealing with big crowds and little kids.

Here are a few of my husband and my crowd control guidelines:

  1. Teach your kids your name. You will always be Mom and Dad to your kiddos but make sure that your kids know your first and last name so if they get separated from you they can tell someone what your name is. Mass panic would happen in a theme park if the loud speakers announced, “Could MOM please report to customer service to pick up your lost child?”
  2. Teach your kids their first and last name. Same concept as number one.
  3. Before you join the crowd take a picture of your child. Make sure it is a full picture so you can see what they are wearing and there is a good clear picture of their face. In the chaos, shock and terror of losing a kid you may forget what your little one was wearing and not be able to effectively describe them. Having the picture will help authorities know what they are looking for.
  4. Point out the authorities and/or who to go to when you need help. Introduce your little one to an employee in the park’s distinctive polo shirt or uniform so they know who to go to for help.
  5. Dress your kids in distinctive clothing. They don’t need to be in reflective safety gear but it should be something that is easy to spot. At a recent trip to the zoo both my boys were wearing “explorer hats.”

  6. If possible have two adults. One to keep an eye on kids and one to be in charge of all the stuff- stroller, diaper bags, tickets, sippy cups etc. When there are clear responsibilities there is no miscommunication or lost moments of who is in charge of what.
  7. If you are traveling with more than one adult make sure you have a way to communicate if you are separated. Cell phones or walkie talkies are great for this. [Read more...]