Simple Salt Dough

It's HOT.

It's so hot it's too hot to go outside.

In fact, it's so hot it might as well be winter. 

We've made attempts to play outside. But, even the kids are miserable being out in this heat.

So, we play inside which forces me to find creative ways to keep two little people happy.

Today we played with Salt Dough. The kids LOVE it and it keeps them occupied for a little longer than some of their other activities.

Here's the recipe:

 Stay cool, and have a great summer!

TIP: Clean Vacuum Filters in the Dishwasher

I'll admit it, I'm an obsessive vacuum-er.  I hate stepping on little pieces of stuff.  Especially with kids - there is ALWAYS stuff on the floor - something is being spilt, knocked over, or deliberately dumped onto the carpet.

So, I vacuum, a lot.

Which means if I don't clean or change my filter regularly the vacuum gets that NASTY smell it throws out when using a dirty filter.  Filters are expensive.  The filter for my vacuum is $27 (which is 1/5 of the cots of my vacuum! Crazy).

I had heard years ago that you could wash your filter in the dishwasher.  I have to say I've been a total skeptic.  Which is probably why after owning this vacuum for 7 years, purchasing a number of new filters, and it taking ONE HOUR to vacuum two rooms last week, I finally tried this.

Fed up with this stinky filter, I dumped the dust/trash out and tapped my filter a few times to get the extra dust and allergens out (sick, I know). then I tossed it all in the dishwasher with one of my dishwasher soap pods.  Actually, the little mesh divider thing I washed by hand, I didn't want it to rust.

Here is how it came out!  I was pretty surprised by how clean it got.  And, it wasn't until I compared both pictures that I noticed just how clean everything came out.

I put the filter in the window sill to dry for a day or two.  Then I ran my dishwasher empty to clean it once or twice - just in case, because I'm paranoid like that.

The filter seems to be working fine.  My vacuum doesn't smell and....it finally SUCKS again!

This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef

Around here, we are in the throws of baby food.  The New Guy is mobile and HUNGRY. 

I don't know what it is about the label on the double pack of Gerber baby food that drives me crazy.  Once you remove one from the pack, the label either flaps around and gets in the way, or you toss it and you've then got to decipher the contents of the unlabeled food by the tiny stamped info on the side.

With my last baby I figured out this little system....

Once I remove and use one packet of the two-pack, I simply cut the label and insert it just under the lid. Then, when the baby's eaten that pack, save the cut label and use it the next time I purchase that same flavor.  

This is especially helpful for baby food to go.  When you're digging around in your diaper-bag, it's easy to see what food you've grabbed.

Let me say, this has been a SANITY SAVER for me!  Like I said, I really hate the labels floating around in my cupboard.  

I'll admit that if you like to see the labels when you open your cupboard, this is less than ideal.  However, I like to sort and stack my baby food according to each day.  That way The New Guy gets a variety of food to eat - and I don't have to spend any time thinking about what I have already fed him and what I'm going to feed him next.

 

These little plastic containers are great to re-use when they're emptied and cleaned.  Perfect size for kids snacks, earrings, rings, spices, kiddo knickknacks, etc.

TipNut Tip Update - Feature!

TipNut has included my tip to make Scratchy Yarn Soft in her weekly Tip Update!

Check it out here (or click the picture).

Free Find - Monograms

I'm a sucker for monograms. I have been for as long as I can remember.

I remember looking at the keys on my dad's old manual typewriter - wanting to pop each of those little swinging letter arms out to arrange them into words.


The "R" above came from my sister's store. As they were tearing the sign down, I begged the workers to pry the entire light box off for me, instead of just the plastic overlay.

This was a month or two before I got married. I thought it was a "risk" to take the "R" - you know, on account of my fear of commitment. Turns out, I married the guy. :)

So, this week when I saw a couple of guys in a cherry picker pulling an old sign down off an Indian Cuisine restaurant, I made the Hubby pull over so I could hop out and ask for a letter or two.

(My kiddo's initials are "L" "S" & "N")

The sign guys weren't exactly sure what to say when I asked about the letters. One guy (who I'm sure didn't want to pry the letters apart) told me he had better ones back at their shop. We followed him back where he pulled out these three little beauties. And gave them to me FOR FREE!

Apparently they scrap old signs for cash at the metal yard. Because these little guys are aluminum, they were headed to the recycle shop for pennies on the dollar.

So, now I know. Sign shops not only make the signs, they take them down, and scrap the leftovers. AND if you ask nice enough they may even give you a letter or two (or three) for free!