Bath time - Play time!

Spring break is upon us and It’s miserable outside here in the PNW. As my kiddos get older its becoming harder to entertain them. Usually my “go to” items are movies and crayons BUT there is only so many times I can watch Tinkerbell and The Little Mermaid OR watch my couch, table and buffet be destroyed by crayon marks. So, today we are having a “splash” party, I’ve found that a few drops of food coloring goes along way in bath water and gives me extra cool points...It also gave me a 15min timeout from chasing my lil ladies.

How do you entertain your kids on a rainy day??

On the menu!

So several times I’ve wanted to do something with BBQ sauce and I haven’t had it! If your ever in a pinch and you need some BBQ sauce - Here you go!
BBQ SAUCE:
1/2 c. ketchup
1 tbsp. prepared mustard
1 tbsp. molasses - May substitute with brown sugar and water (equal parts)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
　
Ps- We are having BBQ chicken for dinner tonight….and once again I do not have any BBQ sauce in the cupboard! Random I know, BUT you never know when you'll need it!

GCN

I’ve been using this site for a little over a year. It’s a must for all my frugal ladies!

Grocery Coupon Network!

I always find the best rebuttals, responses or anything else clever to say 5 minutes to late. All my best ideas come to me in the shower and I’m waaayyy cooler on the internet than I am in real life.

9 days sine my last post….I’m a slacker! I’ve been so busy with upcoming bazaars and the FB fan page, I’ve completely neglected my favorite part about this operation…my blog!
Wheels are in motion at the House of Ferreira, we are planning a cross country move to NY! While preparing for the move I’ve also been helping out with some columns in my daughters school news letter, crafting my butt off, planning a baby shower and trying to host an extraordinary bon voyage party! My house is in ruins and my veins are flowing with sugar free red bull -BUT all is well. I wanted to take the time to say a quick thank you for following and keeping me busy. I love nothing more than to rant and share about my adventures and hidden treasures.
　
I’m turning 28 in a month and I’ve been thinking a lot about how much I’ve grown in the past 10yrs and how excited I am for new life adventures. I though I would offer a random slice of advice on dealing with day to day life J I scavenger the internet sometimes for quotes on how I’m feeling, a bit pathetic I know, but sometimes typing in a simple key word and putting “quotes” behind it you can get some pretty interesting returns. Whether I’m happy, sad, depressed, anxious or excited. I can always find something. For some reason it always comforts me knowing someone else has felt the same thing and verbally expressed it. Like a lyric or a poem. Most of us are cowards, we go through our entire lives being afraid of who we are or how we feel. Like it’s not okay to be ourselves, that being you could be inexcusable and you should change. Please don't - The people in my life I admire the most are full of traits that are quirky and I wouldn’t have it any other way!  　
So for today....
" Love others not for who they are but for how they make you feel"

20min craft project!

Beautiful hanging Butterfly décor -

Sweet and easy!

　
Materials needed

• 4lb test fishing line
• Large sewing needle
• Butterfly accents ( I purchased mine at Michaels)
• 2 medium size clear beads.
• Hot glue gun.

How to
Start by threading your needle with the fishing line and cut the desired amount you would like for your décor. I did 1.5 feet. After snipping off the line tie one clear bead to the end as a weight. To ensure the bead stays put add some hot glue to both ends of the bead where the line has gone through. Next, string your butterflies! You need to go through the bottom of your butterflies as you have already tied and glued the bottom. After stringing your first butterfly through, you will notice it doesn’t stay put - to attach the butterfly to the string simple put a splotch of hot glue on each side next to the fishing line. Repeat until you are satisfied with the length (make sure you leave yourself enough room at the end to tie and make the loop). Once you are done cut the needle off and tie the remaining bead to the end. This time you will need to make a loop at the top for hanging!

This is such a beautiful way to celebrate spring or fancy up a little girls room in under 20mins!!

MacGyver Momma

Think MacGyver was resourceful? You ain’t seen nothing yet! 　

　

Did you know?!?

• Sour patch kids make great lip exfoliators.
• Left over napkins from restaurants and drive-thru meals make great oil absorbing blotting Sheets.
• A child's large bouncy ball is a great substitute for a fitness ball.
• Instead of spending money on soap for your hand-washables, fill the sink with cold h20 and squeeze a dime size of shampoo and clean as normal.
• Apply 1 beaten egg white to your face, let dry and then wash off, tightens the skin.
• Soaking a garment in a bowl of milk can help remove difficult stains.
• Replace a lost earning back with a pencil eraser.
• Can’t afford Mascarpone? Cream cheese mixed with a pinch of heavy cream is a great substitute.
• Outta shaving cream? Grab your conditioner.
• If you don’t have enough time to wash your mane, rub baby powder into your roots.
• Need a quick and cheap body scrub? Epsom salt does the trick.
• Coffee grounds are wonderful odor eaters for a stinky trash can or diaper bin.
• Dawn dish soap helps get grease stains off clothes.
• Outta your expensive styling cream? Grab your hand lotion. A pea or dime size amount locks in moisture and tames fly-always.
• Rubbing a bar of soap over a jammed zipper will loosen things up.
• Need thicker lashes? Apply loose powder to those lashes before the mascara.
• Baking soda deodorizes carpets overnight. Sprinkle on carpets before bed and vacuum in the morning for freshness.
• Can’t afford fancy baby legs? Cut your husbands old tube socks at the ankle and voila!

Everyone knows most full time mommas are often very resourceful “home administrators”and are able to solve most complex problems with everyday materials we find at hand. Along with our ever-present spit and napkins I’ve assembled a list of other clever ways to use everyday items and/or extremely cheap substitutes.

Dog days!

According to the grapevine or in this case Google.
Kodi may or may not have mommy issues, but in most cases it’s just normal dog behavior. Lucky me!

I know you all will sleep easier with this information :)

Kodi Bear

If your ever in the mood for some animal entertainment- my house is the place to be!
Not only is my 10 month old German Sheppard highly confused of his species, he is also an excessive tail chaser and blanket sucker. (oh yes, I said blanket sucker) In between herding my children and bouncing his Kong off the hardwood floor, Kodi’s most favorite activities are chasing his tail and sucking his blankies. More annoying than funny, Kodi can spend hours doing both. And Like every concerned “new” mother-
 I decided to do some research. My findings, hilarious! As always I turned to my trusty pal “Google”

In addition to spending waaayyy more time than I should have reading articles about these erratically behaviors, I watched a few videos. This is my Favorite :) Like Kodi this dog too thinks he has treats stuck to his tail.

Rhea of Sunshine

The Rhea of Sunshine Bowtique is a small online boutique that offers pretties for your princess at a low price. They also offer a few items for your little man, including pacifier clips, wipe cases and snack bags.
Not only is the site owner one of my favorite people she is also an amazing crafty Momma. Kerri is a mother of two and a fearless military wife. While she is juggling the life of a Mom and a supportive wife, she is crafting up inexpensive goodies for your toots! Make sure to check out her site and FB page! If you don’t see anything that catches your eye, email her and she can custom make just about anything you need!

The Mommy Closet!

Just when you think you’re the thriftiest Momma on the block along comes Ms. Kelly and The Mommy Closet! This mother of two has all the inside scoop. Make sure to check her out her blog and her FB fan page!

Adventures in babysitting.

I LOVE being a stay at home momma. However, I didn’t realize when I left work, I wasn’t the only one who lost something. My daughters were enrolled in a small private in-home childcare center. Each day they ate healthy meals, sang songs, played games and learned knew things. I had never thought of the effects it would have on them when I left my job. The only thought I had was they were young and needed to be with me. Holy goodness was I wrong. Being a stay at home mom may look easy from the outside, but I’m here to tell you this is NOT the case. Have you ever really took into consideration what you feed your child on a daily basis? Take a peek at state nutrition requirements for a child care facility, it will amaze you. Also, are you able to stay calm and confident with each - “but mom….not fair… and I want” conversation you have with your 1-5year old? Or how about having a play date at your casa with the patience of job? Not only had I already failed as my families nutritionist by breakfast of my first day, I was also struggling to adapt to my new adventure.
　
On top of feeding and managing my little ones I was also struggling to keep house, run errands and dress myself. By lunch I was wondering what the hell I got myself into. The house that stayed clean all week while we were at work and daycare is now covered in toys, sippies and blankies. My bills and mail I organized everyday at my 11am union break where being used as coloring sheets and my fancy wardrobe was exchanged for sweatpants.
It took me over month to get a routine down. I scavenged thru parents magazines and websites, braved play dates and exchanged my hip contemporary music for a Barney and Wiggles discography. I was headed for success, But that train too came to a screeching halt. I had forgotten one little thing, where was I in all of this? And how do I get me back?
Do I run screaming my goodbye out the door the moment my husband gets home to get a little “me” time? Or maybe take Saturdays and Sundays off like I did at work? Just in case you were wondering Kennedy and Abigail do not offer personal or vacation days in their benefit packages. Nor do they care that you have not had an adequate amount of anything before they demand your attention.
I’m sure you all are thinking that I’m the worst stay at home mom ever and I should go beg for my job back BUT I’ll tell you what -Being able to see your child make tiny or even monumental milestones on a daily basis is worth every chaotic second. Being a stay at home mom isn’t the hardest nor the easiest job and I’m certain I’m not the only one who struggles. The moral of the story is, always remember your preparing your little one to become a functioning member of society. Instill good values, find programs that can teach your kids what you cannot, leave room for mistakes and take time to be the best you can be. If that means hiring a “professional” for the day - do it. You are useless to your children when you’re a miserable mean momma. Or in our house what we refer to as a “hot mess”
　“Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing” ~Phyllis Diller