Back to School Tees…on the Cheap

...back to school tees - on the cheap. Check out what we made today using fabric pens and these really fun "doodle-pop" embellishments at Michaels.

http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayArticle?articleNum=as0293

So simple - yet so cute.

The bright colored embelishments were actually iron-on embroidered art doodles.  I just used one white, and one black fabric pen and added some of the backfround designs.  (Swirls, stars, hearts, little buildings...honestly - anyone can do it!)

They also have some "flocked" matching iron ons that you can use to add detail (see the octopus photo).

Everything, including the transfers, tees, and pens cost me less than $20!

Click the link above for more information...and don't forget to grab your online Michaels coupon!

Not a Fan: Old Navy Little Girls’ Jeans

Today was back to school shopping day.  Let me start by saying that I was *thrilled with the deals!  $10.00 Jeans at Old Navy...$10-$12.00 Jeans at Kohls.   I felt like I hit a gold mine.

I bought 4 pairs of girls Jeans at Kohls - and three more pairs at Old Navy for a total of $$65.00  I felt like I'd hit the jackpot.

...and then - fitting time.

I unloaded my bags and had my six year old daughter try on her jeans.  The first pair (from Kohls) was from the "Jumping Beans" line.  One of my all time favorites.

Cute, stylish...yet still "childish" - elastic waistband...cute detailing including little "heart" pockets.  Perfect.  I spent $7.00 - cha-ching!

Next, we tried the "SO" Kohls brand jeans 2 for $22.00.  Again, cute...simple - adjustable waistband...again - perfect.

Finally, the Old Navy brand jeans.  I bought one "boot cut" pair, and another "flare leg" in size 6.

....Not a fan.  My six year old daughter literally had to "jump" up and down to get the jeans to her waist.  If that wasn't horrifying enough...they were skin tight on the thighs and extremely low-waisted.

...I am not a prude (by any stretch of the imagination)  - but why in the world would a little girl need to "hop" into her jeans?  ....and why so tight?  My daughter is average-sized (a little slim) and these jeans were tighter than tight around the thighs and bottom...and "low-rise" enough that if she bent over to pick up a crayon...her bottom would be showing.

Do we really need to "show-off" the figures of little girls? Do they even have a figure yet?

Mind you, I am a huge fan of Old Navy for myself - but I will no longer be shopping there for anything but graphic tees for my little girl.

I just don't get it...

Mom Review: Bleach Baths for Eczema…Do they Work?

My daughter has severe eczema.  So severe that she referred to herself as "polka-dotted" when someone commented on her tan. "Boy are you tan..."..."no, I'm just polka-dotted".  Thankfully, she's only six and the "polka-dots" caused by dry skin are still somewhat funny to her...

Lately her condition has worsened and it is no longer funny to either of us.  While I had hoped that the humidity of summer would improve the problem it has aggravated it.  (I am suspect that the 3X daily dose of sunscreen or seasonal allergies is making it worse).

I've tried just about everything to treat her eczema - from slathering on Hydrocortisone creams to trying the "as seen on TV" skin care remedies and while her condition improves somewhat (off and on) nothing has eliminated it.   During my monthly search for the "next best thing" I came across numerous websites that suggested adding a small amount of bleach to a child's bath water will help treat eczema.  Yes - bleach. Like many of you reading this, my initial reaction was, "are you kidding me?". Why would I put bleach in my child's bath water?   So I continued to search and realized that the bleach treatment was actually featured in numerous reputable magazines and websites including Time, WebMD, and ABC News.com.

From Time Magazine....

When treating children for chronic eczema, pediatricians may want to look in the laundry room, according to a new study published this week in the journal Pediatrics. The study reports that adding a small amount of household bleach to a child's bathwater can dramatically reduce the itching, rashes and discomfort caused by eczema.

The treatment sounds harsh, but the findings confirm what many pediatric dermatologists have seen anecdotally for years. The theory is that the antimicrobial properties of bleach help relieve symptoms of eczema not by acting directly on that skin condition, but by improving children's skin infections of staph bacteria — a common co-occurrence that exacerbates the irritating symptoms of eczema.

Last year  my husband (who also suffers from eczema) nearly wound up in the hospital after contracting a severe MRSA (anti-biotic resistant) strain of staph infection, therefore, I've been especially concerned about my daughter's condition.   While the "bleach bath" treatment sounds harsh, there is nothing worse than watching a loved one suffer from a staph infection and not knowing what antibiotics (or even *if* antibiotics) will help.

So I'm giving it a try and will post the results (after a few weeks) here.  She had her first bath tonight and so far, so good!    I used 1/4 cup of bleach in our full tub.   Her hair is the same color...her skin is the same color...and she didn't seem bothered by the smell.  (She actually liked it..."it smells like a pool in here".  Oh...and the tub is bright white and looks AWESOME. 

I'm planning to give her a 10 minute bleach bath nightly followed by a slathering of Aveeno oatmeal lotion (recommended by our neighborhood pharmacist).  Bookmark this post and I will share my review in a few weeks.

(This is just my personal opinion and review - please consult your pediatrician or dermatologist before trying this treatment).

Mom Review: Castle Bounce House

I am writing this while listening to my children hop, jump and squeal.  It's a little distracting...but I can't complain.

I recently purchased a Castle Inflatable Bounce House w/ Slide (12' x 9') from Amazon.com and thought I would share my thoughts with you about this product.

We used it for the first time during our Father's Day BBQ.  My kids (5 & 6 and my *almost* seven year old nephew) played in it for at least an hour.  I used it again at my daughter's birthday party one week later.  All of the children (ages 3-7) had a great time.  The only downfall...they had to take turns because it is only large enough to hold 3-4 children at a time safely.

While I was afraid I would only use the bounce house for big events - my children have been using it at least twice per week.  On rainy days - we bring it indoors and on warmer days they pull it under the shade trees.

Set up for the bounce house is simple. In fact, my 6 year old daughter is able to drag it out of our backyard shed, plug it in and start it up.  It is also fairly light and easy to maneuver.  Just the other day I set it up in our basement when I wanted the kids to get some rainy-day exercise.

What I love most about this particular bounce house is that my children also use it as a playhouse.  They've draped blankets over the top to turn it into a "movie theater" and have loaded it full of stuffed animals to create an "animal hospital".

Overall, I am thrilled with this purchase.  I bought it for $249 at Amazon.com and have since seen lower prices on the internet.  It has been well worth the cost during the summer months and I expect that during the cold winter months it will be a great addition to the basement play area!

Sweet & Simple Summer “Bling”…Scrabble Tile Necklace Pendants

Do you need an inexpensive "pick me up" for your summer wardrobe?  I do.  I love adding a little splash of color to my otherwise dull summertime tanks and tees but I am not crazy about spending hundreds of dollars on matching necklaces & earrings.

Here's a simple and unique solution...scrabble tiles!  Recently I purchased a simple silver chain at Hobby Lobby (for less than $5.00).  Next, I visited Etsy.com and searched for some simple pendants and found these wonderful, bright and unique Scrabble Tile pendants.   Most are available for less than $5.00.

These cute pendants make it easy to add a little "flair" to your summer wardrobe without breaking the bank.  I simply swap out the pendant in the morning to match my outfit...  I purchased four for $20.00 so now I have four unique looks for less than the cost of a single necklace.

Note to Fellow Soccer Moms…the Coolest Blackberry / Iphone App…ever!

Let me start my saying that I am a complete computer geek.  I love technology.  I would not be able to survive without my laptop.  I shop, schedule playdates, plan my meals, search for.....(well...everything), work, & teach my kids with the help of my simple & somewhat vintage (two year old) Toshiba laptop.

I took a step forward in the technology department today by purchasing my very first Blackberry (or "crackberry") cell phone.  Within moments of ripping open the box I started searching for applications (shopping lists, calendars, to-do lists) etc.

Carrying around a cute little phone (mine is cherry red) certainly beats lugging around a 17 inch dinosaur laptop.

One of the first "apps" I downloaded (thanks to a variety of positive online reviews) was "Vlingo" which allows you to add tasks, send e-mails, & search the web using voice prompts.

Okay...where do I start with the coolness?  A moment ago (when I was feeling sarcastic) I held the side key of my Blackberry and said, "note to self...get it together".  Later, I held the key and said, "tasks".  Whaddya know....my list of "to-do's" popped up.

(get it together)  (tee hee...)

(send a retirement card to mom)

(send invites to Jenna's birthday party)

....you can also search the web using simple voice prompts like....

(coffee shops in Billings Montana) and "wa-la" a list (via Google or Yahoo) of coffee shops.  Seriously...how cool is that?

Oh..and if you are a facebooker...or twitter'er - you can update your status by pushing a button and telling people what you are doing...in my case "rambling via blog". 

....anyway - needed to share since my blog is all about "simplicity" and I probably saved 30 minutes of tap-tap-tapping texts, searches, etc...using the application vs. my teeny-weeny phone keyboard (and fat fingers).

Frugal Living: Vintage Inspired Kids T-Shirts on a Budget

Ironically - I was in the process of saving some money by making my own shrinky dink necklace pendants (I'll share soon

) when I came across these awesome vintage inspired free iron-on transfers from HP.

I frequently save money by making my own iron-on kids shirts...but these are above and beyond anythi

ng I've ever created on my own.

Here's a sample...and here's the link. Enjoy!

PS - Wouldn't these make great Christmas gifts?

12 Awesome Tips: How To Be A Great Mom

Obviously, a great mom loves her kids, takes care of their basic physical and emotional needs, and spends quality time with them. But what are the subtler, less obvious ways to become a great mom?

read more | digg story

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Check out this quick and simple recipe for Strawberry Freezer Jam share it...save it or store it...and best of all - save money in the process.

Enjoy!

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Loving This! Safety Tats – Adorable Identification Tattoos for your Child

I literally found this website a few hours after scraping a Fourth of July flag tattoo off of my daughter's arm.  The darn thing stayed on for three days!

Now, I am having one of those...slap the forehead - why didn't I think of that?  - moments.  (I think I have a permanent forehead bruised from all of the brilliant things *other* moms have thought of).

Anyway - this one is one of the brilliant-ist by far.   =)

I used to be a social worker and spent much of my summer retrieving young children who wandered from home or who got lost at a park or carnival.

It never failed...even the children who probably rehearsed their name and phone numbers with a parent over...and over...got cases of stage fright.

What's your name?  "um - I don't know".

What's your mommy's name?  "um - mommy".

Where do you live?  "In a blue house".

We always found the rightful owners to the wayward children...however, it is nice not to spare a moment (or a trip to the police station) while looking for a parent.

I am buying a few "tats" as we speak.  They are stinkin' cute, plus - they last over a week.  (If they are anything like the flag tattoo - they'd probably last until the child hits jr. high).

Check it out!