Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

How to Reduce Your Household’s Water Consumption

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Minimizing the water your household uses is an easy way to live a more eco-friendly life while making some valuable savings. Here are some insights on how you can reduce your household’s water consumption and teach your family to live more sustainable lives in the process.

Use Your Appliances Efficiently

Use your home appliances more efficiently, by, for instance, only running full loads. This applies to both your dishwasher and your washing machine. When you run your appliances at full load, they use up water and energy more efficiently. Also, ensure that they’re properly functioning by servicing them as often as it’s necessary to do so and replacing them when they get to the end of their lifespan. Aim to use less water daily than the average person who uses between 80 and 100 gallons each day.

Install Efficient Showers and Toilets

Low-flow toilets will enable you to use less water with every single flush and you will save a lot of water over time in this way. Do the same for showers, installing those that maximize the pressure of water jets in favor of using less water and encouraging your family to shower more than they bathe. When you get used to doing this and practice it on a regular basis, you will find that you start to save on your water usage. Also, try to shower for a shorter time to avoid letting water flow needlessly down the drain and you will have done your part in water conservation.

Let Your Lawn Grow Longer

Rather than trimming your lawn short, you could let it grow a bit longer than usual. When you do this, you will find that you need to water it less often as the longer blades will shade the earth beneath them better, reducing evaporation. If you need to seed your lawn, consider hydroseeding. This is the highest quality, fastest, and most cost-effective method of seeding lawns and controlling erosion of your landscape. You should start to see grass growing in seven days and have the new lawn get established properly in just three to four weeks.

Think of Getting a Native Lawn

Still on the lawn, you could replace the grass that needs to be handled with kiddy gloves with more resistant varieties. These will generally be native grasses and plants that will weather droughts effectively and thrive with minimal maintenance. As long as you arrange your lawn nicely, native plants can look amazing and provide a refreshing look to your lawn and home in general. Check online or at a local gardening center to find out which plants will do well so you can get these. You will make some amazing savings on the water you would have used watering the lawn regularly.

Fix Leaks in Your Plumbing

Finally, small leaks and other issues with your plumbing can see you to lose a large amount of water every year. This is confirmed by the fact that leaks in the average household can account for almost 10,000 gallons of water in waste every single year. Another 10% of homes have leaks that stand to waste a whopping 90 or even more gallons each day. This is literally money flowing down the drain and it necessitates fixing the issue as fast as you’re able to do so. Have an expert perform a visual inspection around the house and repair any leaks that they can find, replacing leaky fixtures as well.

Use these tips to reduce the water that your household consumes and you will play an important role in keeping the environment green. You will also teach your children how to live a sustainable life when it’s time for them to set out on their own in the future.

Free Online Games to Teach Kids about the Environment

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If you’re a mom of kids under 12, you know that one of the best ways to teach kids so that they actually remember information is to play games.  Games are fun, so kids are eager to play, not knowing (or caring) that they’re actually learning something.  If you have science minded kids, there are many free online games to teach kids about the environment.

Free Online Games to Teach Kids about the Environment

Free Online Games to Teach Kids about the Environment

There are so many games and so many ways you can teach kids about the environment!

Games for Ages 4 to 7

Even your little children can learn about the environment with these fun games.

Environmental Protection Agency

Free Online Games to Teach Kids about the Environment

Choose one of three games for ages 4 to 7 to teach them about air pollution and what the various colors mean—green day, red day, etc.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

There are many, many games on the Kids Environment Kids Health page from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.  These games are for kids in 1st to 4th grade.  The free online games to teach kids about the environment include:

Climates of the World

Kids match children in a variety of clothes with the climate and country that they live in.

Matching Game

In one of the matching games, kids can match bird songs with the birds that make them.

Do check this site out as there is so much here young kids would like include many different games, jokes, riddles, and songs.

Energy Star

Calling all Dr. Seuss fans!  The Energy Star website has a fun game called Join the Lorax.  Games include coloring the Lorax characters, completing a word search, and a picture search for energy efficient items.

Games for Ages 8 to 12

SciJinks

Free Online Games to Teach Kids about the Environment

The SciJinks site has many different games for kids from grades 3 to 7.  This site has 23 games including a hurricane simulator and a tornado simulator (kids will probably enjoy seeing the flying cow spinning around when the tornado hits).  Game topics include:

  • Weather,
  • Hurricanes and Storms,
  • Clouds, Water, and Ice,
  • Tides and Oceans,
  • Atmosphere,
  • Seasons,
  • Satellites and Technology,
  • Space Weather

EPA

For those who prefer more scholarly free games to teach kids about the environment, the EPA has an ozone science crossword puzzle.  This puzzle would be perfect for 5th to 7th graders.  There are 17 clues and 17 answers to choose from.

Energy Kids

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has all sorts of activities for kids on the part of their website called Energy Kids.

They have fun energy-related riddles such as, “How do energy-conscious people feel about wind power?  Answer—they’re blown away.”  When my son was in 3rd grade, he would have loved riddles like this.

They also have energy slang terms as well as puzzles (Sudoko, slider puzzles, crosswords and word searches).

For students who love participating in science fairs, the site has science fair experiment ideas for all ages, K-12.

Lastly, the site has suggestions for energy-based field trips as well as a brief description of each site.

NASA Science

For your kids in grades 6-9, Nasa Science has a game to teach your kids about energy flow called Go with the Flow.  Kids get to experiment with how salt and heat affect the weather and the water currents.

If your child is interested in learning about space weather, there is also a game for that on the site called Shields Up!

Smithsonian Science Education Center

If you want to teach your kids about the environment, the Smithsonian Science Education Center site has games for kids in grades 3 to 6.

In the game Habitats, children are given a picture of a habitat (habitats range from desert, coral reef, jungle and marsh.)  They then can choose from images of three animals to decide what animal belongs in that particular habitat.

Similarly, they also have a game, Home on the Range, that corresponds with 2nd grade learning standards.  Kids try to find animals and plants that exist in certain habitats around the United States.  If they don’t know the answer, they can click on each animal or plant that is a possible answer and read more about that particular one.

Smokey for Kids

Teach your kids about the dangers of wild fires with the Smokey for Kids site.  Not only do kids learn how to prevent wildfires, but they also can play games to reinforce what they learn.  Kids might find it especially fun to play the Storymaker Game.  They first fill out quite a bit of information personalized to them, and then a story is created using that information.

Water Sense

In the Water Sense game, created by the EPA, lead the water drop through a maze, being careful to avoid water wasters.  This game is great for late elementary and early middle school students.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute

In the Migration Game, students answer questions about migration.  Each question that they answer correctly gets Wanda the Wood Thrush closer to her summer home in Maryland from her winter home in Costa Rica.

Sample multiple choice questions include, “When do Wood Thrushes fly when they are migrating?” and “How long does it take a Wood Thrush to migrate from Costa Rica to Maryland?”

Recycle City

Another site created by the EPA, Recycle City offers two activities for kids.  First, there is the Recycle City Challenge, where kids can answer questions about actions people can take to reduce waste and energy use.  They can earn points and jump on the leader board.

They can also play the Dumptown Game.  The player is in charge of Dumptown and must start programs to reduce waste and encourage recycling.  Players will be able to see the financial differences based on the programs they implement.

Final Thoughts

Most kids love playing games, all the better if they’re electronic games.  Why not use these free online games to teach kids about the environment to both entertain and educate your children?  I’m guessing your kids, if they’re like mine, would be happy to try out these games and learn new jokes and riddles to add to their repertoire.

My #1 Brand of Choice for Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers

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My #1 brand of choice for long-lasting toys for toddlersWhat do toddlers love? Getting into EVERYTHING. That’s why I want my money to go toward products that will inspire my curious kids, entertain them, and last longer than three days. Therefore, here is my all-time favorite brand of long-lasting toys for toddlers.

My #1 Brand of Choice for Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers

When my kids receive an invite to a birthday party (especially if they’re toddlers), I head straight toward one particular section in the toy department first:

Melissa & Doug.

Why I Recommend Melissa & Doug Toys Above the Competition

I can’t help it; their products win me over time and time again. Here is a breakdown of my top reasons why:

  • They’re well made. The durable craftsmanship of each toy and the use of wood and metal instead of plastic ensures that these are long-lasting toys for toddlers and older.
  • They teach a skill. Each toy or activity I’ve come across in the Melissa & Doug line inspire the child to use her imagination, explore her problem-solving skills, or improve hand-eye coordination.
  • They’re better for the environment. With the longer lifespan of each toy and the use of natural products instead of plastic, the carbon signature is greatly reduced.
  • They help kids focus. My go-to toys for road trips, waiting rooms, or long lines at the grocery store are Melissa & Doug. With their colorful and creative designs, they hold children’s attention spans. That drew me since I know how important it is to teach children to focus at a young age.
  • They help kids have fun without using a screen. No technology. No flashing lights. No batteries. I love that my kids can enjoy toys like these for hours each day without seeing any of the side effects of too much screen time.

If you’ve never shopped for Melissa & Doug toys before, here a few great toys to try first. I’ve seen positive results with each of my children, and even their friends when they come over to play. Whether they’re in the car, playing right beside me, or alone in quiet time, these toys are a continual source of fun in our home.

Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers – Ages 1 to 2 Years

  1. Chunky Puzzles. The great thing about these early learning puzzles is that little fingers can grasp the pieces easily and figure out where they go. Both of my children learned the art of puzzling first from a Melissa & Doug 8-piece Chunky Puzzle (and they still play with it).
  2. Activity Boards. Like puzzles, these sturdy and colorful activity boards offer toddlers a chance to buckle, bolt, snap, lock, and latch as fast as their tiny hands can manage it. This is an exceptional activity to promote hand-eye coordination and, if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself tempted to put the activity board together, too, when no one’s watching. ::cough:: So that’s just me, then?…

Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers – Ages 2 to 3 Years

  1. No-Mess Painting Craft. Did I mention how much I love taking Melissa & Doug products on road trips? The kids love painting with these Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Activity Books. They simply use a brush with water inside and the colors appear on the pages. After a few minutes, the colors fade and the children can paint on them again. This has been great for my 3-year-old who can write her alphabet and numbers, largely in thanks to the ABC and 123 Water Activity Books we own.
  2. “Make-Believe Play” Toys. My niece recently received a Melissa & Doug Christmas Cookie set. I watched throughout the rest of the night as she walked around the room offering each family member a wooden Christmas cookie with a huge grin on her face. It’s so fun to make believe and to do so with such adorable toys. For example, if you’re a coffee drinker, your child might like to become a little barista with this Melissa & Doug Wooden Brew & Serve Coffee Set.

These are only a few options of things your children might enjoy. I shared them because they are the ones my own children have enjoyed. Now, I encourage you to browse around and try one out for your own toddler. I bet he or she will have a lot of fun with it for a long time.

What long-lasting toys for toddlers have you found? Share them in the comments below!

Image Credit: Tiffany Terry (Creative Commons)

This post contains affiliate links.

Gardening As a Family

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Gardening as a family is such a fun and frugal activity. We spend only $50 a year on it and have a ton of fun.Growing up I remember my mom spending hours at our local gardening center picking out her annuals for our bazillion planter boxes. Being a kid I would get dragged along and initially hated every second of it. ‘’Why does she have to look at every single flower? They’re all the same, just pick one!’’. As the years went on I slowly became more interested in it. I began to learn her favorites by name and why she was choosing certain flowers over others. On top of my mom’s love for annual planter boxes we also had many perennial flowers on our property which required some maintenance but were, for the most part, pretty self-sufficient.

It took a few years but by the time I was about 12 I had a genuine interest in gardening. This late spring tradition is something I’ve already started with my daughter, just three years old. When I asked if she wanted to help Mommy pick out some flowers she immediately lit up and demanded I get ‘’all the pink ones’’. While she hasn’t quite grasped color variation she will learn I’m sure.

Gardening is something that families can do together and it is something that fits every budget. If my budget was unlimited I could spend thousands every year on gardening stuff from lawn care to my own annual planters but I don’t. I usually set a budget of about $50 per year to buy annual requirements and it seems to satisfy what me and my family require.

I limit my annuals to four planter boxes. Two in front and two in the back. I mix them up with a few larger established plants, inexpensive fillers like tall grasses and smaller less mature plants and allow them to establish themselves through the summer. For new soil and flowers I spend about $30. The rest of the money is usually spent on new herbs and a few veggies. I buy them in the summer, keep them outside then move them inside for as long as they live through the fall and winter.

Growing herbs and vegetables is a great way for families to all be involved. Kids have fun planting and helping to ‘’take care’’ of the plants which they can then eat. If you’re fortunate enough to have an in-ground garden to grow these types of things it’s great. If you don’t, you can build one for cheap (check our Pinterest for ideas). The only reason I don’t have an established garden is because the only ‘’perfect spot’’ for such a garden is smack in the middle of our back yard which would drive us crazy mowing and this isn’t our forever home, I don’t want to rip apart the yard for a garden someone else may hate.

We grow in containers and it usually does well, our deck gets great sun exposer. Our daughter has a little watering can she can use to help water the plants. She will also be able to help pick the herbs and veggies as they mature and she can learn about the whole plant to food process.

Gardening is something I love doing. It’s something that can really help a family too- learning to grow your own food- as well something that can be truly enjoyable and an activity entire families can do together.

Do you garden with your family?

How to Encourage Your Children to Live a Green Life

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green livingGoing green is a family endeavor. It can only be successful if every member of the family takes part and does his best. Children learn by example, no matter how many times you talk to them about doing something, they learn best by seeing you do it. Therefore, it goes without saying that the first step in encouraging your children is to practice being green yourself first.

Have a Go Green meeting

Schedule a family meeting; have it on Saturday or Sunday morning, when everyone is still at home, even any older children. Start the conversation by asking what they think of the environment to determine their awareness and understanding.

Use this conversation to educate them further regarding the environment and the actions they can take to help protect it. Tell them about any green practices you are already a part of.  Tell them of any celebrities they know or like that are also into saving the environment. It’s even better if it’s someone of their own age so they can have a like-minded role model to look up to.

Make a Go Green shortlist

Following your meeting, make a list of all the green practices that the family can participate in. This can include household practices like conservation of electricity, composting of household waste or recycling plastic and paper wastes.

Plan a weekly Go Green challenge that the family will take part in. Make it a fun challenge for everyone to participate. For example, for Week One, have the family participate in energy conservation. It can be lights out by a certain time of night, or having the computer shut down instead of on standby mode overnight. For Week Two, recycle paper and plastic. You can assign certain tasks to each child, if you have more than one child. The older sibling can take care of recycling plastic and paper products and selling them to a recycling factory, and you can assign the younger child to sort through his belongings for scraps of paper he can recycle.

Planting is also a Go Green initiative that children can understand, even the younger ones. Start off by planting herbs that they normally eat. It can be parsley, cress or a mint plant. It must be something they recognize so they will enjoy doing it.

Keep updated on Go Green initiatives

There are more and more accessible green initiatives to take part of. The government has launched the Green Deal Initiative that allows homeowners to recover hundreds of pounds of cash back for energy efficiency improvements.

Homeowners can get as much as £1,000 cash back. Tesla Motors, an American company has successfully manufactured electric cars that are viable for everyday usage. The Model S is a luxury car that happens to be run by electricity and not gas. The company ships the electric cars to the UK. Its supercharger network has reportedly delivered more than 1 GWh of energy to its line of Model S cars. This is equivalent to gas saved amounting to 168,000 gallons and an offset of 4.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, and that’s just for one month – just imagine a whole year!

How to Save Money by Going Green

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going greenDo you want to save money in an environmentally conscious way?

Going green can sometimes seem expensive. Especially when you compare the shelf prices of green products verses regular products. But, by trying to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle you can help make the world a better place for future generations to come.

If you’re trying to go green without breaking the bank here are three ways you can do just that.

 

Make Your Own Cleaners

Going green is becoming increasingly popular and because of this many green items have a hefty mark up. One of these items is household cleaners.

Instead of purchasing cleaners from a big box store you can make your own for much less money. Here are some natural alternatives to chemical cleaners:

  • Baking Soda: cleans and deodorizes.
  • Lemons: kills household bacteria.
  • Isopropyl Alcohol: can be used as a disinfectant.
  • White Vinegar: will remove grease, mildew, and some odors.
  • Cornstarch: can be used as a window cleaner or as furniture polish.

There are also all types of combinations you can create to replace your favorite name brand cleaners. You can easily find a natural recipe for the cleaner you need online.

In addition to household cleaners you can make your own toothpaste, soap, and laundry detergent.

 

Don’t Throw Away – Recycle

The next time you think about throwing something out check and see if it can be recycled. By recycling you can help out the planet and even put some cash back in your pocket.

You can recycle things such as aluminum cans, copper, steel, plastics, and paper. You should also think about recycling appliances and electronics. You can reduce your carbon footprint by practicing computer recycling, cell phone recycling, and the recycling of your other electronics.  You just need to find a recycler like Vernon Technology Solutions to help.

Don’t forget about up cycling, either. A lot of times you can breathe new life into an old item. Things like small furniture, fabric, and old flower pots can be refurbished or turned into something new. If you don’t want to up cycle an item consider selling it or donating. This way your unwanted items won’t wind up in a land fill somewhere.

 

Rent Instead of Buy

Another great way to reduce your carbon footprint is to rent instead of buy- this is especially true with electronics.

If you occasionally need a tablet you can rent ipads instead of buying them. The same goes for renting computers. When you’re in a bind you can rent a computer for a specified time rather than shelling out hundreds of dollars for a new one.

 

Other Ways to Be Green and Save

Reducing the amount of harmful impact you do to the environment isn’t limited to just these three things. There are others things you can do to help out the planet and your pockets.

Here are a few:

  • Shop for clothing at thrift stores
  • Take shorter showers
  • Unplug appliances and electronics not in use
  • Don’t waste food
  • Drive your car less

There are many green things you can incorporate into your everyday life. The little things you do can have huge impact.

How do you save money by going green?

Making Spring Cleaning Kid Safe by Making Your Own Cleaning Supplies

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heinz vinegar egg dyeI have to be honest, I’ve never been overly concerned about what was in disinfecting agents or cleaners. As long as they did the job and made my house smell clean I didn’t care much about what they may possibly contain in terms of anything hazardous. Things have changed though since having our daughter last year, especially now that she’s crawling and getting into everything. I’m more aware than ever about  the chemicals I use in my home.

Why Choosing a Cleaning Chemical Matters

Our nine month old’s favorite thing to do is pull herself up and practice standing. While watching her pull herself up this weekend, using the newly cleaned glass-top coffee table as leverage, I noticed she was also putting her mouth around the edge of the table. Forget that it wasn’t the safest thing for her to be doing,  just minutes before, I had cleaned the table using a regular brand named glass cleaner. Though the table was dry, there’s no doubt in my mind she consumed some yucky and potentially dangerous chemicals by licking the table. Next time I’m just going to buy distilled water.

Even the most attentive parents will tell your their kids get into stuff they shouldn’t. It got me thinking about having to lock our cleaning supplies up.  While it is important to start child-proofing my home, I have decided to start making my own cleaning supplies, packaged clean-scent be damned.

Making Your Own Spring Cleaning Supplies

To ‘make’ my own cleaning supplies, I will be using a combination of these ingredients. All recipes compliment of a phone call to my aunt, the green-cleaning queen!

  • Vinegar 
  • Water
  • Baking Soda
  • Regular Dishwashing Soap

A combination of these simple ingredients, will clean almost every surface of your home and contain no harsh chemicals. Though it may not taste very good,  if your child or pet gets into these supplies they won’t be harmed.

  • A diluted mixture of water and vinegar (equal parts of each) makes a safe surface cleaner and disinfects! Once the surface dries the vinegar smell goes away.
  • If you have extra tough grim to get off, a mixture of baking soda and water or baking soda and dish soap will cut through it easily since baking soda is an abrasive. Approximately six tablespoons of baking soda to every one to two tablespoons of water or soap, whichever you use.
  • Vinegar and hot water can be used to clean hard-surfaced floors as well. Approximately one cup of vinegar for every gallon of water.
  • Baking soda and dish soap mixture is great for cleaning both ovens and microwaves as well.
  • To clean and disinfect your toilets, pour full strength vinegar in the bowl, scrub with brush, leave sit for a few minutes (15-20) and flush!
  • Scrub the bathtub soap scum away with baking soda and water (or dish soap) paste mixture.
  • To freshen carpets pour baking soda into the carpet, let sit at least one hour, though ideally overnight, and vacuum up.

I don’t know why I waited so long to come to this decision. Not only is it safer for my whole family (pets included!) I’m sure to save a few hundred a year not buying fancy nice-smelling, commercial cleaners.

Do you make your own household cleaners for spring cleaning?  Any tips for a beginner? 

Egg Carton Garden — Update

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Seedling in an egg cartonI promised you all an update on our egg carton seed planting project in a couple of weeks. Well, I am very happy to report that after a little over a week, our seeds are sprouting like crazy! I couldn’t wait for two weeks to update you, I had to do it ASAP — check it out!!!

Broccoli Sprouts (1 week 2 days)

The broccoli was the first to show it’s leafy head. There are a bunch of sprouts. These aren’t actually in egg carton containers though, they are in a plastic container that my husband filled with the seedling soil. He sprinkled the seeds in and now we have enough plants for the whole neighborhood. The cucumbers, green onions, and basil are also in that container and doing rather well.

Green Onions (1 week 2 days)

The bush beans and bush peas are doing excellent! In fact we’ll probably need to plant them in the ground – or our raised bed – this weekend. Over the past couple of days they have really take off. I think it’s safe to say that we are off to a great start!

Bush Beans and Bush Peas (1 week 2 days)

The only thing I’m worried about now is getting them into the ground. As I mentioned before, we really need to plant the beans and the peas soon. They are busting out of the egg cartons. Hopefully, the weather isn’t too wet and cool for them. I guess we’ll see…

Are you starting a garden this year? How are your seedlings doing?

Garden Starts in an Egg Carton

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egg cartons make great garden starters
Photo by CAPL

In the post Spring Fever is Hitting; Time to Plant some Bulbs — I talked about the idea of using an egg carton to start bulbs. Well, I thought that was a fantastic idea and something the boys would really enjoy doing!

Every April, my husband and I start thinking about what we will be planting in our garden. We usually go to the store and buy seeds and starter kits. However, I’ve been trying to save egg cartons – since they always make for an easy and fun craft idea for the kids – so we had a few to spare, and decided to see if we could use them to start seeds sprouting.

Now — I’m not 100% sure this is going to work, since the starter kits we use are made of plastic but if can work for bulbs, it should work for seeds right? I guess you are going to have to check back to see if things are sprouting or not. I really hope they do, because the boys are so excited!!! We planted bush peas, bush beans, cucumbers, green onions, broccoli, and basil.

Getting started with planting seeds in egg cartons

We did buy seeding starter soil – which was a little more expensive than regular gardening soil – but I figured it might be work the extra $$. We let the boys spoon the soil into the egg cartons and they planted the peas and beans, since those seeds are big and easy for them to handle.

The boys added a little more soil after they put the seeds in, then they used a spray bottle to saturate the soil with warm water. After that, I loosely wrapped each carton in plastic wrap and put them in a warm spot. Now we just need to keep an eye on them, keep them wet and as soon as I see some little sprouts we’ll take them out for a little sunshine.

Check back in a couple of weeks to see what’s {hopefully} sprouting 🙂

Have you ever used egg cartons to start seeds indoors?

Spring Fever is Hitting; Time to Plant Some Bulbs

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Tulip bulbs ready for planting in the spring
Photo from FreeFoto.com

Living in the northeast and having to deal with the cold and snow, spring is more than welcomed. The kids are getting antsy and this isn’t helping mom any! The boys want to ride their bikes and of course that is not going to happen on the ice and snow, so I needed a project. We are going to plant seeds and bulbs.

This project is not expensive at all and you will need the following:

  • Egg trays
  • Potting soil
  • Newspaper
  • Seeds or bulbs
  • Spoons

How to start seeds or bulbs in an egg carton

To start this project it is easier to get the potting soil moistened BEFORE the kids put it in the egg trays. I learned the hard way that the soil doesn’t always absorb the water and well it can be extremely messy.

Next you will want to lay down newspaper or something to protect where you and the kids are working. Then let them fill the egg “cups” with the soil. Usually about halfway up the eggcup is enough.

After this is done then you help them plant the seeds or bulbs and put them in a sunny location and watch for sprouts! The kids so enjoy doing this and I am a plant lover myself.

Make sure to keep the soil moistened but not flooded. When watering it is best to watch closely if the little ones are doing it so you do not end up with swimming seeds.

The potting soil does not need to be expensive nor do the seeds. A trip to the local “dollar store” will yield great rewards. I have bough the potting soil and seeds at the local dollar store and had great results.

After the seedlings are a good size and it is warm outside you can transplant into the ground. Not only do the kids enjoy this project it makes spring seem a little bit closer. Although KidsAin’tCheap they sure can be fun!

Have you ever started a garden with your kids?

Fuel Frugality — How to Cut your Fuel Costs

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Save money at the fuel pump with these tips
Image from Richmanwisco

Well, it looks like fuel prices are on the rise once again. Where they’ll stop, no one knows.

When fuel prices were their highest – I believe it was two years ago – it was absolutely ridiculous at the pump. I remember filling up and watching as numbers on the pump tick by at lightening speed. As the tank finally started to become full, I couldn’t believe the numbers I was seeing — just for a simple tank of gas.

Hopefully, things won’t get that bad — but every time gas prices rise, it gets me thinking about what we need to do to cut our fuel consumption — and costs. Of course, there are things we do on a regular basis to conserve on fuel, but there are so many more actions we could take to cut back.

Check out the list below to see what you are doing right, and what else can do.

6 Tips for Saving Fuel

1. Group your trips together

If you have several errands to run, be sure to do it in a few trips as possible. I find that making a list of where I need to go – and what I need to get – helps quite a bit.

2. Car pool whenever possible

If you plan on meeting friends for dinner, you might decide to car pool instead — if it makes sense logistically. Do you have a co-worker or two that you can ride share with? This is great for your wallet and the environment.

3. Maintain your vehicle

A well tuned engine will work more efficiently and make better use of the fuel that keeps it running. Having your tire properly inflated will also use less fuel than tires which are not properly inflated.  While I’m on this subject, Costco inflates their tires with nitrogen, which is neat because it gives you better long term tire inflation pressure.

4. Don’t leave your car idling

Be sure to turn your car off if you are waiting for someone or it might be awhile before you move your car again.

5. Drive the speed limit

Driving faster uses more fuel. Give yourself extra time to get where you need to go and take it slow, getting there.

6. Walk, ride your bike, and/or use public transportation whenever possible

We all know this right? Of course it is a great way to conserve, but it’s still something I need to work on.

Another big thing you can do to cut your fuel costs, is to purchase gas at places where the fuel is the least expensive. Keep in mind that you don’t want to drive all over town trying to figure out where that is either. That would just be counterproductive.  There some good smartphone apps for that – gasbuddy is one.

Luckily, there is a helpful website available – Fuel Economy.gov – which will help locate the lowest gas price, nearest you.

How about you? Are you doing all you can to cut your fuel costs?

Product Review — Shark Steam Mop

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Shark steam mopWhen I first saw the infomercial for the Shark Steam Mop, I froze  — eyes wide and just stared in amazement. “What a glorious invention!” I thought to myself. Then another thought chimmed in, “Remember the Sea Monkeys.” What? Oh  yeah — the Sea Monkeys…

Found on Amazon.com

Sea Monkeys made me cautious

Anytime I see something on TV – that I think looks too good to be true – I usually find out that it is. I first experienced this when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I begged and begged and begged for some Sea Monkeys. If you don’t know what these are take a look. My Grandpa finally gave in and got them for me.

I was over the moon with excitement! I couldn’t wait to see them grow into the creepy alien looking things on the package, to watch them build cities and to do whatever else Sea Monkeys do. I was so disappointed to discover that after waiting for weeks for them to do something — anything, that they did absolutely nothing!

All they turned out to be were stupid little brine shrimp. No disrespect to brine shrimp of course, but they are super boring and look nothing like sea monkeys — or what I thought sea monkeys would look like. Lesson learned.

So, I was cautiously optimistic about the Shark Steam Mop. After all, if it didn’t do what I thought it should, I would just take it back to the store.

Deciding to buy the Shark Steam Mop

I asked my husband to watch the infomercial and he was on the fence about whether or not we really needed it. I explained that it would a be great thing for us to have. I would be able to get the floors clean, without having to worry about using chemical cleaners. This was especially important to us at the time, because the boys were getting ready to crawl and putting everything into their mouths. With the steam mop, it only uses steam to clean the floor. Before long, my husband was on board with trying this product as well.

We found one at Costco (it came with extras that the other ones we saw, did not have) and the rest is history. I love my Shark Steam Mop and I wouldn’t want to be without it. Here are some of my favorite features:

  • It’s light weight and really easy to use. I don’t have to lug a bucket, cleaner, or anything else with me. Simple!
  • As I mentioned before; there are no chemicals — just hot steam to clean your floor.
  • The floor dries in just a few minutes. This is fantastic! With 2 kids and a dog running through the house at all times, I don’t have time to wait for floors to dry.
  • If something gets spilled – and it usually does – I can just grab my steam mop and have it cleaned up in a jiffy! It cuts through everything including juice!
  • I never have to buy floor cleaner — so it saves $$$$. Gotta love that.
  • No streaks and the hot steam leaves the floors really clean.

I just acquired my second Shark Steam Mop. My other one lasted for 3 years. I’ll admit that my first one would have lasted a lot longer, if I had treated it nicer. It got used a lot and I never drained the left over water out when I was done, like the instructions told me to.

Getting my new Shark Steam Mop made me fall in love with it, all over again! It really is a great invention and it’s my favorite cleaning tool ever!

There are a couple of models and I just have the basic Shark Steam Mop (on Amazon.com for $59.85 Retail $99.99). They do have a Deluxe Shark Steam Mop (on Amazon.com for $99 — Retail $149) and they also have the Shark Vac then Steam (on Amazon.com $149.99). I can’t say how those work but if they are anything like the basic model, I’m sure they are wonderful.

Be aware that it is recommended for use on, “…sealed hard floors–including wood, tile, linoleum, and vinyl…”

Do you have the Shark Steam Mop? What do you think of it?

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