Best Website!

OK, I am now OBSESSED with this site I just came upon... www.pinterest.com!  You have to submit your email and request an invite, but it only takes a few seconds!

So what's it about?  People "pin" their favorite things from the web and if you like it you "repin" it to one of your boards.  You can create your own boards (dinner, cooking with kids, crafts, weddings, photography... whatever you want).

It's like a shortcut to all the great things on the web!!!

Looking for a creative Halloween costume?

Or a great DIY Christmas gift:

This site promises not to disappoint!www.pinterest.comwww.pinterest.com

The Smurfs

OK, I have to admit- and I don't think anyone that knows my bad taste in movies will be surprised- I liked it.  I know the reviews haven't been great, but I'm not sure what else you could do with the "plot" of  a Smurf movie.

In the beginning I was a little creeped out because they said that Smurfs are 3 apples high- and I had never pictured them bigger than a lemon!  Gargamel is really kind of creepy- and I would have liked to have spent a little more time in Smurf Village- but overall- for a Smurf Movie- it was pretty Smurfy!

Bedwetting

OK- this post really should be called "My husband's great idea"!  I have an almost 4 year old (really not a 3 year old anymore) who is FINALLLLLLLLLLLLLLY potty trained, but still wets the bed- he gave up pull ups and night time diapers on the same day- Impressive?  YES!  But not when you are 3 1/2!  Before April (he turns 4 in September)- he would NOT use the potty!  People would tell me, "he won't go to kindergarten in diapers" and I would tell them, "you're right, but he might go wearing Depends!"  I was seriously worried!

SO- he decided one day that he no longer wore diapers (yes, this really happens- when you have given up hope, they do what you wanted)- but he no longer wanted to wear them at night either!  I mean, I should just be grateful that he wants no diapers right?  BUT- then came the bedwetting!

SO- here is where my husband is brilliant!  When bedtime comes- and he doesn't want to go to bed or go potty- we tell him, OK, if you go potty then you can stay up for 5 more minutes.   Now, I have added the step that we tell him it's bedtime about 20 minutes early because this extra bedtime step can add to bedtime!  But I'm telling you the "5 more minutes" plan has saved us about 95 loads of laundry so far!

AND believe me I have read every potty training book and website trying to potty train this child- this method is SOOOOOO much better than sleeping on the floor next to your child and waking them every few hours to potty!

Bedtime

So, bedtime in our house (and I'm hoping in someone elses) can be hard.  The kids don't want to go to bed, the parents barely have the energy to argue at this point and we are all just going through the motions.

BUT- I have come up with a new way to think about the bedtime- when your kids just want one more story or for you to lay with them, or one more whatever...  {This really works for me}-  I picture myself 20 years from now, when no one wants me to put them to bed, no one wants me to read them a story and no one wants me to lay down with them (well-hopefully my husband will :)).  I picture myself wishing that I had taken more time putting the kids to bed and appreciate the fact that they really just wanted me to read them a story and give them a kiss- then I come back to where I am and realize how grateful I am that I am living the the life I live and that I have 3 wonderful kids that want me to put them to bed EVERY night!

There really will come a day when I am a little sad that my kids aren't little anymore and that they don't need me to help them fall asleep- SO- before that day can make me sad- I'll just be happy.

Easier than a Tie Dye!

If you are looking for something fun and simple to do with the kids, but don't want to be quite as messy as a tie-dye- try this!

We took solid color shirts, made designs on them with painters tape and then sprayed them with Clorox!  It was simple, not to messy and the kids had a great time!

We let them sit out in the sun after spraying for about two hours (while we went geocaching- I was obviously feeling very ambitious this day) and then came back, removed the tape and washed them one time- the kids loved them!

Fun things to do with the kids: Geocaching!

WOW- I don't even know how I stumbled upon this, but talk about something that my kids loved today- GEOCACHING! I have a 7 year old, almost 4 year old, 5 month old and 9 year old neighbor- and today we found our first geocache! I'm pretty sure they are going to dream tonight about our great treasure hunt/trip to the North Pole- I mean really- I might as well have taken them on a Pirate escapade and run through the North Pole they were so excited!

Basically you go to www.geocaching.com and/or download the app to your phone and go!  The app on your phone will show you a dot on a map where the cache is and you go find it.  The one we found was a tupperware box filled with little trinkets.  You take a trinket and replace it with something else- and then sign the log.  Apparently there are three caches within 1/2 mile of my house that I didn't know about!  There are caches on every continent.  It is a really fun and cool thing to do with your kids- and I'm pretty sure if you did it a lot it would be great for the diet- there is a lot of walking, running and looking around involved.  Check out the site!

Sometimes kids just know what to say!

Today I dropped my 7 year old off at camp and was driving home with my almost 4 year old and 5 month old- when I kind of spaced out on some things that have been really bothering me. I got lost in thought- a little upset- and then from the back seat I hear "MOM- MOM- you know what- I just love you!" Ahhhh- melted my heart and brought me back to everything that matters....

It's hard sometimes when you are exhausted from all the yelling, wrestling, fighting, feeding, playing, trying to figure out what to do with your kids next- but somehow a simple "I love you" can put everything that matters into perspective!

Workout Playlist

So- I'm trying to figure out some way to find time to work out with 3 kids.  I haven't quite found the time, but am working on a playlist for my ipod.  A friend of mine sent me this list and I thought I would share these ideas for good workout songs.  Please let me know what your favorite songs for working out are!

In da Club:       50 Cent
Bust A Move:  Young MC
Stronger:     Kayne West
Hey Ya!:     OutKast
Peacock:      Katy Perry
California Girls:   Katy Perry
Teenage Dream:  Katy Perry
Dani California:   Red Hot Chili Peppers
Get the Party Started:  Pink
You Can't Touch This:  MC Hammer
Mo Money Mo Problems:  Puff Daddy
How Low:   Ludacris
Psycho:  50 Cent
Amazing:  Kanye West & Young Jeezy

Design and print your own fabric!

Wow- have you ever wanted to design your own fabric?  Now you can at Spoon Flower!!!!  I'm so excited- I haven't tried this out yet, but can't wait to give it a whirl!  The price varies from $18-$32/yard.  Imagine being able to design your own curtain fabrics or fabrics for a special craft project. I'm so excited to have found this site!  Oh and if you aren't feeling to creative today you can buy other people's designs.

If you have tried this site, please let me know if it was a good experience!  Here are a few fun ones I saw:

Getting Boys Interested in Reading!

I have a 7 year old son and one of my biggest struggles with him has been getting him to pick up a book without it being a chore! I recently went to a book fair clearance event and stumbled upon the Ball Park Mysteries Series- needless to say that he finished his first chapter book in just 1 week! I would recommend this series to all you boy moms out there!

Cookie Monster Birthday Party

My "baby" recently turned 2... crazy how fast they grow and how I can't remember not having him here!  We did a cookie monster party.  He wore his cookie monster t-shirt and I got cookie monster cupcakes from the grocery store and made a cookie monster cake with my giant cupcake pan...  Not perfect, but pretty easy to make:

Warning:  This will turn your child blue!!!  It's fun though...

Great Kids Book

If you are looking for a great kids book- check out "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie"!  It is a great book that is so much fun to read with young children.  This book is funny and wears out the little boy inside it.  My oldest son and I used to read this book ALLLL the time!  If you are looking for a fun book you will both like- try "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie".