Save Money On Dryer Sheets

If you are looking to save money on dryer sheets, but still want the benefit of soft laundry, try this tip: Spray a washcloth with a 1/2 and 1/2 solution of hair conditioner and water, then toss into the dryer with your wet clothes.

Contests To Enter

1. In need of a camcorder? Enter here to win a compact DXG-567 HD Camcorder.
2. Have a teen in your life? You'll want to enter Baby Phat's contest to win 10 $100 gift cards here.
3. What's better than Hershey's chocolate? A Hershey's shopping spree! Enter here.
4. If you are a techno geek, you will want to enter this contest for Techno gear.

She's back, but will the Turkey Lady live to see another day

Dance in High School Musical 3

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Letters From Santa

Looking for a fun, inexpensive way to surprise your child? Head over here to print out one of 16 Santa letters to mail to your child. Great gift idea for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and more. PDF version is free; editable Microsoft Word version is just $5.
These letters are for all ages from Baby's first Christmas to a letter to a "not so nice" adult!

Nestlé Nesquik Strawberry Powder RECALL!!!

Check your cupboards and make sure that you don't have any Nestlé Nesquik Strawberry Powder on hand because the FDA has recalled some containers that may contain small fragments of aluminum.

The recall only includes two (2) production codes of 21.8-ounce containers of Nestlé Nesquik Strawberry Powder. Printed on the bottom of each plastic container is a production code of "82255880" or "82265880" with a best by date of "August 2010."
No other Nestlé Nesquik products or production codes of Nestlé Nesquik Strawberry Powder are affected by this recall.

For more information visit the FDA site.

Baby Wee Wee (Pi Pi)

Now I had one of those dolls that "goes to the bathroom" when you give it water when I was a little girl, but when I saw this video I had to squirm. My little doll was pretty gender neutral, but this one is really accurate to the point that I'm a bit uncomfortable.

This doll is sold in the UK, by the way, so I'd love it if someone from the UK could fill us in on this. Is it a popular doll? Am I a prude for being a bit grossed out by it?

Swan Lake

I am a huge ballet and gymnastics fan, but I have never quite seen something like this - it is amazing!

You will never see anything like this ballerina and her LIFTER! Enjoy! Click on:http://www.sonnyradio.com/swanlake_0001.swf

The International Space Station, with MUSIC! : )

Ever wondered what it would be like to live in Space? Check out this cool video!

Win A Sony Digital Picture Frame

With 6 kiddos and thousands of family pics, I've been wanting one of these for awhile! So, you know my fingers are crossed, hoping that I win this contest from Lisa Reviews. It is worth about $249.99 and holds up to 1,000 pics!

My Entry for 5 Minutes For Mom Summer Fun Contest

This photo was entered in The Summer Fun Photo Contest at 5 Minutes for Mom.

New Family Photos

We recently had some professional photos done of the fam, and here are a few of my faves. I will be posting some more pics later this week.

Top 3 laughing babies

This is too funny!

5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

This is my little guys' new favorite video.

Test Your Awareness: Do The Test

How aware are you?

Ahhh! The life of boys!

I was always a girly-girl growing up - so it has been quite the adventure having 6 boys!

Are You A Peep Fan?

With Easter only a day away I can hardly hide my excitement, not my addiction, that's right - I am admitting it! I am a Peepaholic! Ever since I was a small child I have craved the sugar coated marshmallows that would find themselves planted in my Easter Basket. And I know that I am not the only Peep fan out there, but who would have guessed that there was actually a science to Peeps?
And who would have guessed that there are actually people who gather statistics as to how many Peeps are sold each year (over a billion are sold between Feb 15th and Easter if you were wondering)?
And the makers of Peeps have even surveyed other Peep aficionados to see HOW they eat their peeps: Just Born's recent research, the 2006 State of Marshmallow Peeps found the most popular way to eat Peeps is fresh from the box (26.5 percent), followed by biting the Peeps' heads first (17.2 percent), stale or matured (8.5 percent), swallowing Peeps whole (7.8 percent), licking off the sugary coating (3.1 percent) and lastly, frozen (3.0 percent).
How many Peep fans do we have here?

What Does Your Birthday Say About You?

Your birth date describes who we are, what we are good at and what ourinborn abilities are. It also points to what we have to learn and thechallenges we are facing.
To figure out your Birth Number, add all the numbers in the birth Datetogether, like in the example, until there is only one digit. A BirthNumber does not prevent you from being anything you want to be, it willjust color your choice differently and give you a little insight.
Example March 20, 1950 3 + 20 + 1950 = 1973 1 + 9 + 7 + 3 = 20 2 + 0 = 2 Keep going until you end up with a single digit number. 2 is the Birth Number to read for the birth date in the example. _________________________________________________________________ #1 THE ORIGINATOR #2 THE PEACEMAKER #3 THE LIFE OF THE PARTY #4 THE CONSERVATIVE #5 THE NONCONFORMIST #6 THE ROMANTIC #7 THE INTELLECTUAL #8 THE BIG SHOT #9 THE PERFORMER =========================================================== # 1 - THE ORIGINATOR 1's are originals. Coming up with new ideas and executing them isnatural. Having things their own way is another trait that gets them asbeing stubborn and arrogant. 1's are extremely honest and do well tolearn some diplomacy skills. They like to take the initiative and areoften leaders or bosses, as they like to be the best. Beingself-employed is definitely helpful for them. Lesson to learn: Others'ideas might be just as good or better and to stay open minded. Famous 1's: Tom Hanks, Robert Redford, Hulk Hogan, Carol Burnett, WynonaJudd, Nancy Reagan, Raque l Welch.
#2 - THE PEACEMAKER 2's are the born diplomats. They are aware of others' needs and moodsand often think of others before themselves. Naturally analytical andvery intuitive they don't like to be alone. Friendship and companionshipis very important and can lead them to be successful in life, but on theother hand they'd rather be alone than in an uncomfortable relationship.Being naturally shy they should learn to boost their self-esteem andexpress themselves freely and seize the moment and not put things off. Famous 2's: President Bill Clinton, Madonna, Whoopee Goldberg, ThomasEdison, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
# 3 - THE LIFE OF THE PARTY 3's are idealists. They are very creative, social, charming, romantic,and easygoing. They start many things, but don't always see themthrough. They like others to be happy and go to great lengths to achieveit. They are very popular and idealistic. They should learn to see theworld from a more realistic point of view. Famous 3's: Alan Alder, Ann Landers, Bill Cosby, Melanie Griffith, KarenRoundbutt, Salvador Dali, Jodi Foster.
# 4 - THE CONSERVATIVE 4's are sensible and traditional. They like order and routine. They onlyact when they fully understand what they are expected to do. They likegetting their hands dirty and working hard. They are attracted to theoutdoors and feel an affinity with nature. They are prepared to wait andcan be stubborn and persistent. They should learn to be more flexibleand to be nice to themselves. Famous 4's: Neil Diamond, Margaret Thatcher, Arnold Schwarzenegger, TinaTurner, Paul Hogan, Oprah Winfrey.
# 5 - THE NONCONFORMIST 5's are the explorers. Their natural curiosity, risk taking, andenthusiasm often land them in hot water. They need diversity, and don'tlike to be stuck in a rut. The whole world is their school and they seea learning possibility in every situation. The questions never stop.They are well advised to look before they take action and make sure theyhave all the facts before jumping to conclusions. Famous 5's: Abraham Lincoln, Charlotte Bronte, Jessica Walter, VincentVan Gogh, Bette Midler, Helen Keller and Mark Hail.
# 6 - THE ROMANTIC 6's are idealistic and need to feel useful to be happy. A strong familyconnection is important to them. Their actions influence theirdecisions. They have a strong urge to take care of others and to help.They are very loyal and make great teachers. They like art or music.They make loyal friends who take the friendship seriously. 6's shouldlearn to differentiate between what they can change and what theycannot. Famous 6's: Albert Einstein, Jane Seymour, John Denver, MerylStreep,Christopher Columbus, Goldie Hawn.
#7 - THE INTELLECTUAL 7 's are the searchers. Always probing for hidden information, they findit difficult to accept things at face value. Emotions don't sway theirdecisions. Questioning everything in life, they don't like to bequestioned themselves. They're never off to a fast start, and theirmotto is slow and steady wins the race. They come across as philosophersand being very knowledgeable, and sometimes as loners. They aretechnically inclined and make great researchers uncovering information.They like secrets. They live in their own world and should learn what isacceptable and what is not in the world at large. Famous 7's: William Shakespeare, Lucille Ball, Michael Jackson, JoanBaez, Princess Diana.
# 8 - THE BIG SHOT 8's are the problem solvers. They are professional, blunt and to thepoint, have good judgment and are decisive. They have grand plans andlike to live the good life. They take charge of people They viewpeopleobjectively. They let you know in no uncertain terms that they are theboss! They should learn to exude their decisions on their own needsrather than on what others want. Famous 8's: Edgar Cayce, Barbara Streisand, George Harrison, Jane Fonda,Pablo Picasso, Aretha Franklin, Nostrodamus.
#9 - THE PERFORMER 9's are natural entertainers. They are very caring and generous, givingaway their last dollar to help. With their charm, they have no problemmaking friends and nobody is a stranger to them. They have so manydifferent personalities that people around them have a hard timeunderstanding them. They are like chameleons, ever changing and blendingin. They have tremendous luck, but also can suffer from extremes infortune and mood. To be successful, they need to build a lovingfoundation. Famous 9's: Albert Schweitzer, Shirley MacLaine, Harrison Ford, JimmyCarter, Elvis Presley.

Big Scare Today!

This morning my 13 year old asked me, "Mom, what's wrong with my eye?" I looked at it and the left eye was totally drooped. At first I thought it might be a stye or a bug bite, but I couldn't see a bite mark or a sore of any kind. I asked a nurse friend to look at it and she didn't see anything either and told me to take him to the doctor. We went to the doctor here in town and she told us to take him to the emergency room because he might have had a stroke or Bell's Palsy.

Needless to say I was a nervous wreck, but we made it to the hospital. After a long wait, they finally said that they thought it was an eye infection and prescribed some antibiotic drops.

Thank God it was nothing serious!

Mag My Pic

My boys love all the internet programs where you can upload your photo and make it into something fun (the cubes, elf yourself, etc.). We just found a new one where you can put your picture on the cover of a magazine. This site allows anyone to become an instant covergirl (or boy as the case is in my home). I even made my dance class girls little stars!

You can also browse covers other people have made with it! Lots of fun!

Renting Toys?

With 6 kids you can just guess that we are drowning in toys. Someone recently pointed out this site to me where you can actually rent toys. The concept is similar to services like Netflix, only you are renting a package of toys. You are allowed to borrow 4 to 6 toys at a time and shipping is included. The toys are sanitized after each use.

What do you think? Would you consider borrowing toys for your kids?

The winner is Utmom of my 5 Little Monkeys! Congrats!

Look What We Want!

Wouldn't this little boy look absolutely adorable tooling up and down the street (ok - my front yard) in this too cute for words pedal car? That's what I think too! And so I entered this contest sponsored by 5 minutes for Mom. This little beauty is available at their website along with other retro toys and pedal cars! They retail for $259. My little guy is an absolute Mustang fanatic and would go absolutely gaga over this one!

Are You Nanny Deprived? Take This Quiz to find out..

1) Have you ever eaten a random cheerio, puff, or pretzel just because you had no where else to put it?

2) Have you ever vowed to never again wear white due to constant grime, bodily fluids, and dirt showing minutes after you've gotten dressed?

3) Have you ever used your garden hose to wash down a high chair, stroller or child?

4) Have you ever walked around with a half eaten cookie in your pocket?

5) Do you look forward to going to the doctor or dentist just so you can sit in the waiting room and read a magazine by yourself?

6) Have you ever used a public restroom while holding a child on your lap because there was no where else to put them?

7) Have you watched Yo Gabba Gabba? I'm so sorry if you have!

8) Have you spent at least two consecutive days in sweats?

9) Have you ever counted down the hours until bedtime?

10) Have you perfected the fine art of changing pee soaked sheets while still mostly asleep?

11) Have you been forced to discuss or explain the plot of a Disney movie while trying to merge onto an interstate in rush hour traffic?

12) Have you ever had to use preschool safety scissors to cut a major package because that was all you could find?

13) Have you ever cleaned grilled cheese off of your sunglasses?

14) Have you ever answered the door wearing "princess jewlery"?

15) Have you ever run out of batteries on PURPOSE?

16) Have you named your dustbuster and consider it part of your family?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, you truly are Nanny Deprived!

Thank you to Amanda at Nanny Deprived http://www.nannydeprived.com/ for allowing me to use this! Check out her site for other funnies and lots of great Mommy and Baby gear!

Products Made In the US

I can hardly believe it, but this little guy is about to turn 2 a week from today. My baby is no longer a baby! WAAAAAH! But along with sadness comes the (pains) I mean joys of celebrating his birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese (the family tradition - lol!).

Those toy scares from Christmas are still looming in the back of my mind as I go looking for birthday presents for the little guy. Did you know that 45 million toyswere recalled last year, and none of them were made in the US? I have found an amazing assortment of stores on-line that sell made in the US products only, but one of my favorites so far is Made in USA forever, not only do they have great toys, but they also have men and women's clothing, things for the house and more. The prices are very reasonable, and I have found things not only for Luke's birthday like this cool fire truck and this , because just like mom he's addicted to the computer, but I've also found some things for the older boys when their birthdays come around in April and May (3 of them all at the same time - ARGGH!).

I also checked out the about us page at Made in USA Forever (because I'm nosey that way) and was pleased to see that the company was started by a dad in California -there is a pic of him and his adorable baby girl (I am a sucker for things like that!) I also appreciate the fact that toys made in the US keep jobs here in the US, and are better for the environment (other countries do not have the pollution standards that we do). So... I'm off to shop a bit more, just wanted to share the site in case anyone else is concerned with the safety of kid's toys these days.

Ten Books Your Child Should Read by Age 10

Disney Family recently posted a list of top 10 reads for kids. The list included:

1. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," by Eric Carle

2. "Goodnight Moon," by Margaret Wise Brown

3."The Little Engine That Could," by Watty Piper

4. "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom," by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

5."Go, Dog, Go!," by P.D. Eastman

6."Where the Wild Things Are," by Maurice Sendak

7."Where the Sidewalk Ends," by Shel Silverstein

8."Charlotte's Web," by E.B. White

9. "Ramona the Pest," by Beverly Cleary

10. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," by Roald Dahl

I definately agree with most of the books on this list, but was a bit disappointed that no Dr. Suess books made the cut! And 2 of my all time favorites - Love You Forever and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day were also missing. Any of your childhood faves miss the list?

Is Your Family Prepared?

Nobody wants to think of the possibility that something bad could happen to your family during a natural disaster, but with the flood coming just a few miles from my home and effecting many of my friends and community members, I realize just how vulnerable and unprepared we really are.

Hoping to become a little more prepared, I've been doing a little research on-line and found that the Red Cross has an AMAZING site filled with usefuil tips, checklists, and just about everything you need to prepare your family for the unexpected.

One thing that I found particularly interesting was the suggestion to call Red Cross to find out what disasters are most likely to happen. This would have been very helpful in our town, because most people did not expect a flood in a desert, but, if they had checked here they would have known we actually are living in a flood plain.

Some things we will be doing include:

1. Making a disaster plan with set locations to go if anything were to happen- one locally and one a little further out. We will also give family members these phone numbers to reach us in an emergency.

2. Checking our our insurance coverage to make sure we understand ALL of our coverages and lack of.

3. Preparing a disaster kit and putting all important papers in a fire proof safe that is easy to grab if we were evacuated.

Flood!

Our tiny little town has made national headlines due to a flood! A small section of our community is currently under up to 8 feet of water in some parts. A levee broke on part of an irrigation canal after heavy rains. We live in a desert, so this was completely unexpected for many.

As many as 300 to 400 homes are destroyed. Luckily no one has been injured due to the floods.

We are ok - we live about 3 miles from the flood. In fact, we didn't even know about the disaster until friends and family members started calling us from all over the country to see if we were ok. Then we turned on the news to see what they were talking about.

Please keep the families who lost their homes in your thoughts and prayers.

Tagged - Again!

I have been tagged again! This time by Renee Baker who asked me to list seven informal things about me, then tag others (Sorry!) So here goes:

1. I am addicted to sugar in almost any form - mostly candy - Twizzlers, Kit Kat, JuJubes, Jelly Beans, Hot Tamales, etc.

2. My favorite movie as a child was Annie and I now have a red little poodle named Annie.

3. My favorite thing to do to exercise is tap dancing.

4. I majored in accounting in college - and regret every second of it - especially at tax time when everybody asks me to do their taxes.

5. I hate eating fish - I am a Pisces so I feel somewhat cannibalistic - go ahead and laugh at me - how many of you won't eat deer because of the whole Bambi thing - enough said.

6. My favorite author is Jodi Picoult who coincidently publishes her books every March right around my birthday. The last one, 19 minutes actually has my birthday in the first sentence.

7. In high school I once resisted the invitation of a very cute boy to skip class to go get doughnuts because "What wouldI tell my kids?" (I obviously didn't have any yet, but I was already worried about their values!)

Now the FUN part: I will tag: Dawn (because she has a cute little guy), and Veronica (because I just found her fun blog and it will remind me to go back and read some more!)

Pay Per Post

Yeah! My blog has FINALLY been approved for Pay Per Post!!! I guess in the past I have not been prolific or consistent enough in my blog postings, but I have finally been fairly regular about my blogging. I have achieved one of my New Year’s Resolutions (to be better about blogging) and it’s not even the first week! LOL!

Anyway, the idea behind Pay Per Post is that advertisers pay you to blog about their site or product. Your opinions can be negative or positive and you can pick and choose which opportunities you take. When you get to the home page, you will see a list of featured opportunities, and the amounts you would be paid if you choose the opportunity (you have to be qualified for certain opportunities). The amounts of pay appear to range anywhere from $5 to $250. Scrolling down the home page, you will find a list of Pay Per Post’s top earners. The all time figures feature people with figures around $11,000 to $18,000. If you are a little more analytical (like me) you can click to see monthly top earnings around $100 to $200 or daily at $45 to $60 – not too shabby. We have college on the horizon for a few of our boys, and we are doing whatever we can to save up for that expense - even a few extra dollars a month will come in handy!

Next to that section you can find a featured blogger of the day – not only do they pay you for your posts, but they give you a little free advertising.

I have just been approved, so the verdict is still out on availability of offers, speed of pay, etc. but I will keep you updated. Blogger friends who have referred me have raved about their services. I will tell you that I was pleased with the customer service prior to approval – they give you tips and advice on why your blog might be rejected.

Another thing that I like is that they have blog ethics They require full disclosure that the posts are paid posts.

Wordless Wednesday

The Kids clowning around with the Santa's friends costumes at the Nutcracker.