Silly Bandz are EVIL. Evil, I tell you!

That would be the logical thing to deduct, right?  Seriously.  Why else would an over-bearing government institution BAN them in it's hallowed halls?

Honestly, where are we today as a society that we must BAN a silicone bracelet from our school buildings.  Not just the classrooms, mind you, but they're not allowed in the schools.  Period.  Because they are evil.  Okay, so maybe they didn't call them "evil", but clearly they are.  I mean, come on!  When was the last time YOU were able to get a bracelet to go into a fun animal shape, put said bracelet on your arm, and then get said bracelet to go BACK into that animal shape?  Clearly, there is something demonic going on with these bracelets.

I know.  I appear all hip and cool for knowing what Silly Bandz are.  Time for the truth.  I ONLY know what they are thanks to my good friends at Google.  They led me to Mommy Message who enlightened my incredibly un-hip self.   (That link is for you other totally-not-up-with-the-times moms like myself.)  Apparently Silly Bandz are the latest craze.

Who knew?

Apparently the school districts, that's who.  They've come to save our children from themselves!  They saw this craze and thought that if they didn't stop this craze dead in its tracks, they'd have a mutiny on its hands!  The kids would be crazy with distraction from these bracelets.  They might think about something OTHER than the teacher droning mindlessly on.  (Oh COME ON!  You KNOW you had that thought at least once during Geometry.  I did.  Hmmm  Maybe that's why I got my first and only "C" in that class.  But I digress.)

Seriously, people? Seriously.  Remember the slap bracelets of long ago?  I don't mean remember their resurgence in the '90's or the 2000's.  I mean remember when they originally came out.  What can I say?  I'm an original type of girl.  That, and I'm old.

Here's what's amazing about those slap bracelets of long, long ago (back in the dark ages or so...like before the internet):  Save for my "C" in geometry (which was really more related to my ineptitude at geometry rather than any bracelet), there was no long-term damage seen from us having those bracelets on our arms during school time.

I seem to be pretty normal.  (Stop laughing.)

Seriously, though.  What kind of a people are we today that we have to ban kids from having a bracelet on their arm during school hours?  We were just as distracted/distracting with our slap bracelets!  I remember sitting in class slapping my arm repeatedly with said bracelet.  I remember my best friend sticking her arm out by my desk to which I responded by slapping her arm with my bracelet.  She returned the favor with her bracelet when I stuck my arm out in her direction.  I think we'd both be charged with assault today.

What do the schools plan to do?  Do they not realize that no matter how much they ban these stupid silly bandz that kids will STILL be distracted in school?

Are they planning on taking away their pens, pencils, & paper too?  They'd better!  Otherwise, kids will doodle!  Some kids actually listen BETTER if they are keeping their hands busy.  It doesn't mean they're not learning!  Are they planning on banning thought?  If they don't, then kid's minds will wander!  Are they going to ban books?  If not, kids like me who learn better by reading than by hearing are still going  to spend the lecture time reading the material instead of listening to it.  Kids WILL be distracted!  It does NOT mean they're not learning!

Seriously, folks!

Do we not realize that kids can be kids and STILL learn?  I know it's a novel concept today, but really...can we try?  For the sake of the kids?

Or we could just make them all sit naked in empty, cold isolation rooms instead.  That way, NOTHING will distract them.  Not even the teacher.  Oh.  Wait.

Full Disclosure

SOS Mom Saver: Creative Gift Wrapping

I can't tell you the number of times I've cringed when I go to purchase wrapping paper or a gift bag. I don't like paying for things that are just going to be thrown away. Even if I did spend "just" $1 for that bag or roll of wrapping paper.   In addition to that $1 for the bag or wrapping paper, you have to buy tissue paper, ribbons, or bows.  Suddenly, that $1 is no longer just a dollar...and ALL of it has been spent on trash...items that will likely be thrown away after use and have no long-term or residual value.

This won't necessarily save you huge sums of money...at least not at first.  Once you've determined that you're going to live this way, then you can watch for items on clearance and buy them in advance of an event instead of at the last minute.  What this WILL do, is allow you to quit wasting your money on useless trash.  It will transform your gift-giving into something new and original...and completely useful to the person receiving the gift!

There are several completely use-able ideas for "wrapping" gifts:

• A Blanket: Whether you're giving a baby-shower gift or a gift to a young child, a blanket is a fantastic, original way to wrap your gift.  "Tie" it together with a cloth-diaper pin, a snappi, or a reusable ribbon.  These receiving blankets are $1.67 each including shipping. I recently used this idea for a baby shower gift.  I'll show you two different options for how to apply the "blanket" wrapping paper.  Each has its own unique, fun look.

• Blanket "Wrapping" Style One ('Cause I'm creative with names that way.  Don't judge.  At least I didn't name my kids "Kid 1, 2, & 3"...or Dweezel. I expended all of my creative energy naming my children. But I digress.)  This is the easiest way to wrap.  You put the gift in the blanket and pull the ends of the blanket up.  

That's a matching brown ponytail holder holding it in the center.
(FYI: You can get ponytail holders for FREE this week at Walgreens!) 

I simply added a real-ribbon bow to "pretty" this one up!
• Blanket "Wrapping" Style Two (I know.  Again with my brilliance at naming things.):

Place everything in the blanket and fold it nicely in the center.

Pin the blanket in the center to hold it in place.

Fold the ends in like you would with "regular" paper.

Pull the folded end up.

Pull the other side up and pin it connecting both pulled up ends.

Both sides are now pinned up securely.

You can add ribbon to "present" it on the front side.

Or you could make the ribbon "present" on the back side where it's pinned.

• A Towel: If you're giving a gift to an older boy or girl, a towel is a GREAT idea!  Every child likes to have their "own" towel.  Why not use it to wrap their gift? (After summer is a FANTASTIC time to find big swim towels on clearance!)  Again, a cloth-diaper pin is great for securing the wrapping.
• A basket:  You can find some really cute baskets (scroll down to the bottom of the page) at your local Dollar Tree.

• A cloth bag: There are so many options out there with cloth bags!  For under $1 after shipping, you can get unprinted bags in many different colors.  These reusable cloth bags are perfect for gifts and are incredibly affordable!  If you're extra creative, you can add the recipient's name or another fun design on the bag.  And who doesn't want a re-usable cloth bag these days!    But how do you get that "tissue paper" look?         

• A blanket or two or pre-fold cloth diapers (which make great burp cloths) all make really nice "tissue paper" for filling the top of a bag.  They're not necessary, but really add a nice, fun touch!

This is one of my favorite gift-giving cloth bags.

What creative ways do you have for wrapping gifts?

Full Disclosure

The Thompson Family Trash Circle

For a week now, the exact same piece of trash has been sitting on the floor in my hallway.  For a week now, every member of my family has walked by, over, and around that same piece of trash.

When I first noticed the trash, I asked who put it there. "Not Me" was the unanimous response.  While his frequent appearances in our family doesn't make this completely implausible, I was still not convinced.

Something told me there was more to the story.

My husband, upon seeing the trash, asked the same question...and received the same response.

And for a week, we asked who put it there expecting that at any moment A child, ANY child would pick the piece of trash up; whether they were the guilty party or not.  For heaven's sake, it was a PIECE OF TRASH!!!

Still, no one picked it up.  Even the cat caught on that it shouldn't be there.  We'd notice the trash moved ever so slightly from day to day...undoubtedly from having been played with by our cat, or kicked out of the way by a child who couldn't be bothered to bend at the waist for 1/2 a second.

I know what you're thinking.  Why didn't my husband or I just pick the trash up.  As we said, it was JUST a piece of trash.  We didn't pick it up because, as any parent knows, there is no such thing as JUST a piece of trash.  If THAT piece isn't picked up, then it will be 2, then 3, & so on.  They need to know that if they drop it, they need to pick it up & throw or put it away.  There won't be anyone to follow them around when they're adults.  We're to train them up in the way they should go so that when they're old they won't depart from it.  I believe that applies in every area of their lives.  We're not doing our kids any favors by picking up after them.

This piece of trash became the basis for our events this weekend.  We woke up...and started our day as we normally would have.

After breakfast, we called all of the kids upstairs and explained to them that we were going to play "The Trash Circle".  It's a new game that Mommy & Daddy had created.  It goes like this:  Every child in the family sits in a circle around the piece of trash that has been sitting there for a week.  No one may speak unless they are admitting to having dropped the trash there.  No one may get up unless they are going to throw the trash away.  Everyone would sit there until the trash was thrown away AND the person who threw it there admitted to having done it.

It took under a minute for my son to pick up the trash and throw it away.  Shortly thereafter, the child who had dropped the trash there admitted to having done so...and got the reward of emptying all of the trashes for the next week.  Names have been concealed to protect the not-so-innocent.



Full Disclosure

SOS Mom Saver: Coupons

Do I really have to use coupons?

The bottom line is yes.  If you want to save the absolute most money at the grocery store then you MUST use coupons.  You can still save money without using coupons, but to save the MOST money, you must use coupons.

You will either spend your time to use coupons, or your money to purchase items without coupons.  There's no way around that.  Which you do will depend on your situation.  If you have more money than time, then it makes sense that you would spend your time using coupons to save your family money.  If you have more money than you do time, then you might make the choice to spend the money to avoid spending the time using coupons.  There's nothing wrong with that if you've made a choice to do that.

I think a lot of people, however, are scared of coupons.  They want to coupon, but they either don't know how, think they won't really save any money (what's $1, right?), or don't think they can get the products they like if they use coupons.

I can't change your mindset, but I can show you how to use coupons.  I can also prove to you that you CAN save money on quality products using coupons.

What specific questions about couponing do you have?  What reasons for NOT couponing have you heard (or do you believe)?   Do you coupon?  Why?  Why not?  I'd love to hear from you!

My series on saving money at the grocery store starts tomorrow.  The more input you give me, the more I can help you!

In the meantime, for a simple, easy-to-read listing of deals at stores throughout the nation, check out Savings Angel.  I highly recommend Savings Angel for those new to couponing or those who just don't have the time to find the deals themselves.



Full Disclosure

Review Day: Why I'll Never Do Business With Cricket Again

It's not often that you hear me say that I would not only never do business with a company.

I could go backwards to the issue where the service just quit working.  Our bill was paid.  We'd never been late.  I knew it wasn't that.  After nearly 7 calls & 3 hours, I gave up.  It was my BIL & SIL who fixed the problem for me the next day.  No thanks to Cricket.

Then, came the repeated issues with slow service (download speeds of a whopping 11 kbps to a whopping 46 kbps which is lower than the 56 kbps that can be expected with dial-up).  I am well aware that the slow speeds probably have to do with our internet usage.  (The more you use them, the slower they make you.)  That's why I wouldn't NOT recommend Cricket based on this.

My lack of a recommendation for them comes because of their horrid customer-service...if you can even get through to someone in the first place.

We just had a new cable modem installed.  As soon as that service was active, I began my journey to cancel Cricket.  After 4 phone calls, I finally talked to "Bob".  Right. You do know that NONE OF US believes your name is ACTUALLY Bob, right?  I am ALWAYS polite to people on the phone; regardless of how rude they may be to me.  However, I will NOT apologize because I can't understand YOU!  Not when I am paying to do business with a company in AMERICA!  At least a half a dozen times, these words came out of my mouth, "I can't understand what you're saying".  No apology.  I shouldn't have to apologize.  YOU should get someone whom I can understand.

Habib....I mean Bob was fantastic at trying to get me to stay.  After repeated attempts to get him to realize that NO means NO, I asked for his supervisor.  It is at this point that I was remarkably transferred to the CEO of Cricket Wireless.  I must say, I was impressed beyond words that "Mike" (who was also barely understandable) took the time to personally answer customer calls.  Imagine my shock and disappointment to find (on a now-quick search of the internet) that the CEO is actually named Doug Hutcheson.  Mike assured me my service would be canceled and I'd receive no further bills, but couldn't send me any confirmation of a cancellation.  As it was explained to me by this CEO imposter, Cricket Wireless doesn't offer e-mail services so they can't e-mail me anything.  Right. After obtaining assurance that Mike did, indeed, believe himself to be the CEO of Cricket Wireless and, therefore, couldn't transfer me, I thanked him for his customer no-service & ended the call.

Another quick search...gotta love QUICK internet...revealed that the headquarters & escalation team (i.e.-American customer service) were in San Diego.  It's amazing what you can get done when you talk to someone in America.

My service is canceled.  And the Cricket representatives in America know how to use e-mail.

Oh.  And "Mike" isn't the CEO.  I hope he gets help for that problem soon.



Full Disclosure

SOS Mom Saver: Freebies!

This has been a really rough week for us so I'm going to be short and sweet. There are several freebies that you can find right now!

If you don't understand something, check out my Couponing Definitions.  If there's still something you don't understand, just let me know and I'll be happy to add it to my Definitions page!

*Walgreens:

• EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream  7oz $2.99 -$3RR = Free + $.01
• Schick Hydro 3 or 5 Blade Razor System $7.99 - ($5) 5/9/10 SS - $5RR = Free + $2.01

*CVS:

• Bayer Breeze 2 or Contour Meter $19.99 - ($10) 4/25/10 RP - $15ECB = Free + $5.01 (lt. 1)
• Bayer Low Dose 32ct $1 - ($1) 3/21/10 SS = Free
• Carefree Body Shapes Pantiliners $1 - ($1) 4/25/10 SS = Free
• Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste 4.2oz $3.50 - ($.75) 5/2/10 PG - $3.50ECB = Free + $.75 (lt. 2) or
• Crest Pro-Health Rinse 8.4oz $3.50 - $3.50ECB = Free  (lt. 2) 
• (This is a total lt. of 2 between both Crest items.)
• Right Total Defense 2-4oz $2.99 - ($1.50) ip - $2ECB = Free + $.51 (lt. 2)
• Schick Hydro 3 or 5 Blade Razor System $8.99 - ($5) 5/9/10 SS - $4RR = Free + $.01
• U by Kotex liners 50-60ct $4.99 - ($1) 4/18/10 SS - $4.99RR = Free + $1
• U by Kotex pads 14-18ct $4.99 - ($1) 4/18/10 SS - $4.99RR = Free + $1

For more deals in your area, check out Savings Angel.  I have a post coming up talking more about them, but suffice it to say, I believe they are the best all-in-one place for new or busy shoppers to go and find the deals.


Full Disclosure

SOS Mom Saver: Homemade Popsicles

Feed my kids popsicles for breakfast?  Why not?  

(What kind of a mom ARE you?  You'd feed your kids POPSICLES for BREAKFAST?!?!  I'm not sure I can keep reading your blog!) 

I promise.  I'm not crazy.  In fact, I can almost guarantee that YOU will feed YOUR kids popsicles for breakfast too after I'm done with you.  These aren't your typical "is there even any actual fruit in there" popsicles.  These are popsicles that you and/or your kids make from scratch.  And it's EASY!

The easiest way to make popsicles at home is to use pre-packaged fruit juice that you'd buy at the store.  If you purchase a juice from the "Simply" juice line, the Lakewood "Just" juice line, or the Knudsen "Pure" juice line, then you'll be giving your kids pure fruit juice popsicles.  (The Minute Maid "Simply" juices would be the cheapest of the above.  They're also found at almost all grocery stores.  The others are more costly and aren't carried in all regular grocery stores, but also come in organic varieties.)

I like to go a step further here, though.  I like to find creative ways to use the fresh fruit that I get...especially as it gets past its prime.  (I know every one of us has that apple that gets lost in the back of the fruit drawer in the fridge.)  Many people think these fruits are trash.  The opposite is actually true.  The riper the fruit gets, the sweeter it becomes.  I wouldn't eat it plain, but I'll freeze this fruit straight to use in smoothies or...my kid's favorite...puree the fruit and make homemade popsicles.

The ingredients are incredibly simple:

• A blender, food processor, or smoothie maker
• Popsicle holders (or small cups)
• Lids for the popsicle holders or small popsicle sticks
• Fruit...Be creative!
• Some sort of liquid: Yogurt or Kefir can be used for a thicker popsicle.  Juice or water can be used to make it more light.

 

We got these molds on sale at Albertson's for $2.49 each, but you can find them at Wal-Mart, Target, and other discount stores as well.  WARNING:  The lids typically do NOT hold up well!  I would highly recommend that you have wooden sticks on hand because the lids WILL eventually break on these cheap holders.

The fruit is in!  It's ready to go!

It's blending!  (If what you're noticing about this picture is that I don't have a Vitamix, you would be correct.  I don't.  But I do dream about one almost daily when I make my smoothies.  I usually use my food processor for popsicles, but I haven't unpacked it yet.  The smoothie maker will do the job when it has to!)

(Did she just say that she hasn't finished unpacking yet?  Didn't she move in over 2 months ago?  Geez!  What does she do all day?  What kind of a wife and mom IS she?  I'd have the house unpacked by now.)

I'm certain just about anyone would have my (or their) house unpacked by now.  In my defense, this was like our 80th move and frankly, it gets old after awhile.  And you figure you'll just leave stuff in the boxes for next time.

Ready to pour!  This is when the kids run over and try to eat some before we pour.  They usually end up eating a good bit of this "fruit sauce" before I get it all poured.  I fought them off this time just for you.  You should feel special.

Children have been fended off and pouring begins!

They're all poured now and ready for the freezer.  Wasn't that easy?

Once you put them in the freezer, they'll be ready in about 12 hours...although my kids are usually trying to grab their first one well before that.

Doesn't that look delicious!  And it's FULL of nothing but fruit!  How awesome is that?  So go tell your kids they can have popsicles for breakfast now, K?