Got kids or pets? Then you "got" scratches on your wood furniture- I don't care who you are. The wood crayons have never really worked for me; I don't know if I had the wrong color or what. But here's what to do. Take an oily nut (filbert, Brazil nut, macadamia) and bit it in half. Eat the half that is in your mouth. Take the other half and rub with the grain of the wood across the scratch(es) on the furniture. The natural oils in the nut will fill in the cracks. No kidding! Want more great ideas? Then go see what works for everyone else!

Labels: works for me

This is GOOD, girls, so listen up! You must go buy this incredibly wonderful product as soon as possible. I cannot stress enough how this will revolutionize your bathroom cleaning. Really, you just press the tool against the inside of your toilet bowl until it clicks; it releases a "stamp" of gel cleaner that lasts (approximately) a week. Y'all, I have three boys, and my toilets smell nice now. 'Nuff said.

Check out all the other great ideas this week.

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So this week is a "Backward" edition, and it works like this: instead of giving a tip, I want (hope) to get tips from y'all.

In a nutshell- we have a mouse. Let me interject here and say I fervently hope it is a mouse (singular) and not a RAT. At any rate, this guy is good- a little too good, if you know what I mean. He eats my tomatoes sunning on my windowsill; he eats my bananas hanging on the banana tree; he eats the mozzarella cheese RIGHT OUT OF THE TRAPS (3 of them).

Can someone pleeeeeease help? Leave a comment here with your suggestions, and then go see who else you can help today!

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After 10 1/2 years of changing diapers and having to buy diapers and wipes, you can bet your bottom dollar (pun intended) I was singing "Hallelujah!" to be able to sail right past that aisle in the grocery store. Until I remembered that panicky feeling I would get when I would reach into the diaper bag only to discover I was out of wipes. Nooooooo!

So now I keep a tub or two on hand for my friends who still change diapers. Their relief is almost a tangible thing. It is such a small thing, really, to serve others in this way. Be sure to check out what else works.

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So, five ingredients, huh? Well, this one is easy-peazy-lemon-squeezy. Really. And although you could easily say "strawberry," the truth is you could use whatver berry suits your fancy! Another beauty of this recipe is that you don't have to cook anything! Here goes:

Ingredients

1. Walnuts (or nut of choice)
2. Butter
3. Strawberries
4. Sugar
5. Whipping Cream

Finely chop 1 C nuts in food processor (but not so finely that you end up with nut butter). Melt 4 T butter and mix with ground nuts. Press into pie plate (not deepdish). Slice strawberries and layer over crust, as much as you like. Whip cream with 1/3 C sugar periodically sprinkled during mixing. Spoon gorgeous mounds of white, fluffy yumminess over (and over) the strawberries. If you can make it to this point without serving right away, chill for one hour. Enjoy!

There many more "Five or fewer" recipes here, so go have a look.

Labels: food, works for me

"Mom, I'm bored!" Oh, don't get me started. But it's inevitable, right? Most kids are used to the structure of every day school, whether homeschool or dayschool, so when vacation rolls around, it's easy to become bored with the lack of activity.

So here's what works for me: I plan certain activities for certain days. A week or so before school is out, I go the the local library and check out their scheduled events for the summer. Ours offers several things a week, but I choose the ones that all four of my kids can enjoy. For instance, yesterday we went to see a magician- hilarious! I also know that one of our local theaters offers $1 movies in the summer on Tuesday and Thursday, so the kids choose which movie they want to see, and we plan for that particular day.

I don't book up every day of the week, but this is helpful in scheduling certain chores too. If the kids know we are leaving on Tuesday at 10:00 am, then they also know they must get up and straighten their rooms and put away toys before we leave. See? It's a win/win situation!

Labels: summer, works for me

If you have at least one boy, then bathroom cleaning can be, um, challenging. I cannot stand dirty bathrooms, but I especially dislike dirty, smelly ones. And the once-a-week cleaning routine just doesn't cut it at the Suburban household, because I have (count 'em) three boys- and one girl- who share a bathroom.

Enter Lysol cleaning wipes. If you follow this advice, I promise you that it will revolutionize your bathroom cleaning habits forever. Really. Every evening, after the baths, teethbrushing, etc., I pull two wipes from the container under the sink. One wipe is for the countertop and sink bowl. I generally rinse it out once and swipe again. The other wipe is for the toilet seat, under the seat, and behind the seat. *If you have girls only, this piece of advice is utterly meaningless* On Saturday, all I have to do is spritz and wipe the mirror, swish out the toilet bowl, and quick mop the floor. But that's another tip altogether! Sound simple? It really works for me.

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I'm going to take a poll, and I want to see a show of cyber-hands. How many times have you slipped your shoes on to take paid bills to the mailbox? Just as you grab those envelopes, you realize you did put the cute little personalized address labels in the left-hand corner, but you didn't put stamps on them yet. While you begin searching for the sheet of stamps (because you swear they were right here), your sweet chubby-cheeked toddler proudly shows you his latest masterpiece: "A fwag paper, Mommy!" You frantically think, "Oh my goodness! Did he just say 'flag'?" And, sure enough, there are the remainder of your 13 stamps, plastered to black construction paper, and crumpled beyond all recognition.

"Maybe I can gently peel them off," you think to yourself. "Or, if I use the tip of a steak knife, I could slide it under and...." Oh, for the love of Pete, STOP!!!!! Just stop, okay? Step away from the steak knife, give your toddler a big smooch and "thank you", and log in to your bank's website.

Online banking is sooooo easy. I set up our online account myself. And, if you know me, you know that's saying a lot! Online billpay is practically a cinch. Really. It works for me, and it will work for you too.

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Do you- and by "you" I mean "your children"- misplace library books? Do you ever get that Overdue Notice in your e-mail inbox? Do you have to play "last minute mad-scramble" before heading to the library? Let me be the first to say that all of the above have happened to me. Sometimes I want to avoid the library altogether, but that's not a smart move. So what's my solution? The Library Laundry Basket! It's easy: just designate a small to medium-sized (remember, you have to carry it full of books) laundry basket for library use. Take it into the library with you and tell your children to choose their 5 (or however many books they check out on a weekly basis) books, movies, books on tape, etc. and put them in the basket. I promise you that you will become a favorite with the nearly-retired librarians! After checking out, remind your children that all library items must stay in the basket unless being used. This way, the library things don't get absorbed into your children's things. Imagine: your local library will be FREE again without the hassle of overdue fines from lost books!!

Shannon has some more great reruns over at her place!

Labels: works for me

Money is tight, but the need for some "alone time" with hubby is greater. Does that sound like a familiar scenario? Well, here in the Suburban household we have stumbled upon a solution: share a meal.

We choose a restaurant that serves complimentary items (salad, bread, chips and salsa, etc.) before the entree, and we look for an entree that offers a good amount of food. When we order, we simply ask for an extra plate. Some places will even split the food for you in the kitchen. Doing this accomplishes several things: a fun date, a more economical dining cheque, and the opportunity to exercise self-control in eating!

There are more great ideas here; go. Read!

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If you live in America, you know that tomorrow is perhaps the biggest cooking day of the year. I know some will argue that Christmas is, but around these Suburban parts, Thanksgiving is all about family, good food, and- well- thankfulness.

But there does seem to be a problem I run into every single time: what can I cook/bake ahead of time to free up some oven/stove space? Now I have at least one solution- I make my mashed potatoes ahead of time. For instance, if we plan to eat at 3:00, I would make my mashed potatoes around noon time, get them seasoned and creamy, just the way we like them, and put them in my crockpot on LOW (this is important, people- do NOT set it on HIGH). Before putting on the lid, I drizzle just a bit of either cream or chicken broth on the top surface so I don't have little crispy peaks when all is said and done.

You know where the other great tips are- go, go, go! And Happy Thanksgiving.

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Thankfully, my children don't read this blog (yet), because if they did, my secret would be out. What's the secret? Oh, just that I sneak in about seven day's worth of vegetable servings to my homemade pasta sauce!!

It's easy: I just get some carrots, zucchini, and sometimes squash. You have to be careful with yellow squash, though, because too much of it will turn your pasta sauce a suspicious pale color, and we don't want anyone (especially kids) asking questions, right?

Cut up your veggies and steam until fork-tender. Then put all into a blender or food processor and puree. Simply add to the simmering pot of pasta sauce and, voila! Vitamins A galore!

Head on over to see other great tips!

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You know what it's like: butter and sugars creamed; eggs beaten; flour, salt, and baking soda combined- WHAT??!! No baking soda? Did I really use all of it last time? How could I forget to put that on my list?

Sound familiar? Well, there is a way to avoid that scenario. Starting this week, add two holiday baking items to your grocery list. All the stores are setting up "baking centers" even now. These areas usually have all the necessary ingredients for baking. I started this just recently. I bought two bags of mini chocolate chips and some canned pumpkin. Next week I'll grab some baking soda and baking powder. That way, I (hopefully) won't be caught in an unexpected shortage in an inconvenient time!!

For other great tips, go on over. Really. Go on!

Labels: works for me

We all know that any given task will expand to fit the time alloted for it. For example, it really only takes me 5 minutes to unload my dishwasher, but if I dawdle, I can sure stretch that out to 15 minutes or so. The same is especially true for children's chores. A request of "Let's clean up our rooms" can fill up the better part of an hour, especially after a full day of school.

So here's what works for me: I tell the kids, "I'm giving you 15 minutes to clean your room to the glory of God. Ready, set, GO!!!!" Ooooh, you should see them scramble to beat the timer. However many minutes they save is the amount I add onto bedtime reading.

So, head on over- you know you want to!!

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My two youngest children are in kindergarten and pre-k. Ask any mom, and she will tell you that artwork gets backed up quickly. What to do? Well, last year about this time, I stumbled upon this idea for original place mats. My kiddos will bring home finger painted pictures, and I will smooth them out and store them flat. Then, when Christmas time rolls around (or birthdays, etc.) I take them to Office Max where a kind assistant cuts thems to the same size and laminates them. Voila! Instant placemats!

For other great tips, head over to Shannon's place.

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