momonthegoinholytoledo

How to mini-Vacation on a Shoestring Budget: We did it in Dayton

April 18, 2012April 18, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

Last week was our daughter’s spring break and we were all itching to get out of TOLEDO!! Since a long family vacation wasn’t in our budget we instead did a mini-vacation and you can too!! Here is how…..

1. Location: Plan your trip around family and/or friends. You know that friend of yours that moved a few years back and she has always been bugging you to visit and stay with them but you feel like your family would be an imposition? Or, maybe your sister or brother just relocated and could use the company? Kindly accept their offer, it is really easy, repeat after me, “Yes, we would love to visit”. We stayed with my sister in Dayton.

dayton 111 — My sis: "Of course you guys can stay at my place...." I am so blessed.

2. Set ground rules for your stay. Express to your friend or family any specific that need to be followed during your visit such as nap time, food budget, avoiding souvenir traps, bedtime, etc. But do remember to have this discussion in a kind manner, after all, they are providing a place for your family to stay during the duration of your visit. Also, do not be demanding, be appreciative and kind. Bring your own towels, linens, food, etc. then be grateful for any towels, linens, etc. that are provided. Do bring a small thank you gift for your friend/family, a nice bottle of wine, something from your home town is known for (glass figurine or chocolate) or something your friend/family enjoys.

3. Travel: Keep the travel short and sweet when possible. Try to minimize your travel trip to a location that doesn’t require more than one days travel. Also, if you will be traveling in the car all day locate a park at the halfway point for children to run around and blow off some steam (you will be happy you did so once back in the car).

4. Means of transportation for travel: Gasoline prices are ridiculous so in order to keep our trip within our budget I swapped cars with my hubby. He stayed in town for work and drove around in the Yukon while I took the kiddos on our trip to Dayton in his Cadillac. True, the Yukon has so much more space and it also has a DVD player but it guzzles up the gas. So, instead of using $80 for gas I only spent $45. And since we wouldn’t have the DVD player the kiddos were each allowed to pick out a Playaway View from the library as entertainment for the travel (these are FREE as long as you return them on time). We also played a few games and sang some songs along the way.

5. Food: Traveling can make fast food very tempting, it is at every exit/rest area and it is convenient. Sure grabbing a bag and unwrapping dinner, passing it around, and tossing the trash back in the bag is convenient and requires no pre-trip preparation. However when traveling on a shoestring frequent fast food stops can quickly add up and so does the cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium. So, for your wallet and heart’s sake steer clear of fast food. Instead pack snacks and meals for the family before you hit the road. Remember to bring a cooler for any perishable foods. For our trip I packed my version of a kid’s happy meal.

I made PB & J sandwiches; packed carrots, juice box, napkin, and fun Easter candy treat in Easter buckets. The buckets not only contained crumbs and trash but the kiddos thought it was so special and fun. I ate carrots and an apple while I drove, both are eating while driving friendly foods. Also, go through your pantry and refrigerator and pack food for your vacation. Milk, OJ, cereal, fruit, veggies, PB, Jelly, bread, Coffee, and pretzels are my go to foods. Try to limit the food you purchase while on the trip but you are on vacation so be sure to budget in a splurge for dinner one night, a snack another, and of course a coffer or two or even a glass of wine for mom and dad. When dinning out at a restaurant with the entire family it is wise to discuss your budget with your children before you enter the restaurant. If everyone gets water you are already saving money right off the bat. One of the best options for dinning out with the entire family is pizza. On our trip we ate dinner at a local pizza establishment and the large pizzas were only $13. Or, if pizza isn’t your forte splitting entrees is another great idea when vacationing and if you eat your dinner earlier you can usually get the lunch price.

6. Attractions: Seek out local attractions that are free such as mega playgrounds like the one our kiddos enjoyed in Dayton.

Ask around, the locals are always eager to share all the wonderful attractions their town/city has to offer. Like the Yellow Springs Young’s Jersey Dairy Farm we visited…..

My Three Little Piggys

Old McMaxwell had a farm..

These guys reminded me of my kiddos, all they have to say is “ma..ma..ma…

Time for that special treat!!

I love the name.

dayton 073 — Yep, that water looks all natural! Our toddler kept trying to jump in, she would have been dyed blue! Remember the movie Meet the Fockers?

I had a tough time taking pictures and running after our toddler…this is one of the girls together, cute photo huh?

Look online to see if there are free museums in the area like the National Museum of the U. S. Air Force.

We just so happened to visit on Family Day. They had a lot of fun activities for the kiddos.

Lastly, checkout your local memberships for reciprocity at other establishments located near you vacationing destination. Our Toledo Zoo Membership got us into Boonshoft Museum of Discovery for FREE!!

7. Mommy Mentality: This is one of the most important tips. As we all know moms are constantly modeling their behavior for their children and vacation is no exception. It is important that moms express enthusiasm for the attractions you will be visiting on your trip. As moms we know the difference between a deluxe vacation and a mini-vacation on a shoestring budget. However moms have the power to make that mini-vacation on a shoestring budget into a deluxe vacation memory.

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So, our grand total for the trip:

Gas- $45

Food/coffee-$40

Entertainment $8 for putt-putt & IMAX tickets $25

Souvenirs- $35

Total= $153

Spending quality time with family and seeing some amazing attractions while making wonderful memories= PRICELESS

So, where have you mini-vacationed? I would love to hear some suggestions for places we should visit in the future. We are trying to decide where to go this summer, tell me about your home town, should it be our next destination mini-vacation?

Hybrid Time: Guilt Free Mothering

April 15, 2012April 3, 2013momonthegoinholytoledo

Do you feel like you are constantly being pulled in different directions? Do you feel torn when you have to partake in household chores instead of spending time with your children? Does the mommy guilt begin to pile on? Do you start questioning your priorities?

We have all been there, we feel so guilty for taking time to do things like laundry and dishes instead of spending quality time with the children. Granted these are tasks that need to be completed; maybe there is a way to do both? This is what I like to call Hybrid time.

Hybrid Time is time during the day that you complete household chores while still participating in fun games and activities with your children. This way you can remove the mommy guilt and feel great about getting the necessary chores accomplished. Below are a few of the activities that my children and I participate in during Hybrid time.

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Treasure Hunt: So you need a few minutes to switch around the laundry and start dinner? This is a great choice that is sure to give you some time to complete your chores and your child is guaranteed to have fun.

Appropriate for Age: preschoolers and up.

Time: Should give mom 10-15 minutes to complete her task

What you will need: Paper, Pen, & Treasure The treasure could be their snack (still in package) or their favorite toy, any treasure will do, it is more about the hunt.

How to make: Take the paper and pen and draw out five locations on the map. It is important that the map is age appropriate for your child. If your child can read you can write out hints and clues along the way but if they are younger pictures will need to be provided. The last location should be where you place the treasure. Time to play: Hand over the map and watch as the fun unfolds.

Added fun: If you have walkie-talkies you can feed them hints and clues along their travels throughout the house. You can be in the basement doing laundry while talking to them or, in the next room, wherever.

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Healthy Option vs. Unhealthy option

Appropriate for Age: 2 and up

Time: this fluctuates, you decide how many rounds your want to play. This is a favorite game for the children to play while I prepare meals. They often sit at the table eagerly awaiting my next question.

How to play: While prepare a meal have your children sit around or within ear shot and you name three foods. You can either name two healthy options and one unhealthy (they would name the unhealthy), or you name two unhealthy and one healthy (they would name the healthy).

For example: Name the unhealthy option- Apple, Peach, or French Fries? The answer is French fries. Name the healthy option- Carrot cake, oatmeal cookies, or celery? The answer is celery. You could also add to the fun and use visual aids if you have them available in your kitchen. You can make this age appropriate as well, say you would like to teach your elementary child healthy food options. You could have them name the complex carbohydrate or perhaps the food with protein, etc. Then give your child a chance to ask you the questions, this really helps them understand nutrition. Hopefully one day they will stump you. I think that whenever you have the opportunity to engage in an educational activity with your child why not make it fun!

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Hide-N-Find

Appropriate for Age: 2 and up

Time: usually 10 minutes but could fluctuate

How to play: Take 5 of the same objects, maybe five plastic stacking cups, linking rings, Barbie dolls, legos, five of anything that is similar. Hide those five objects in your home. Place them in age/height appropriate locations then have your child locate them. This is a fun activity because you do not have to hide, mommy can continue on with the household chores while the kiddo searches the house for the objects.

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Pots-N-Pan Jam

Appropriate for Age: All time Favorite with the babies and toddlers

How to play: Get out a pot, pan, spatula, and wooden spoon and give them to the baby. You tap on the pot and pan with the spoon then the baby will, and so on and so forth. This is an oldie but a goody.

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What Animal am I?

Appropriate for Age: 2 and up

How to Play: You pick an animal in you mind, say a cow. Your child then guesses what animal you are, basically 20 questions but with animals. Then it is their turn to pick an animal. If you can get some pictures of animals prior to playing and then pull those out for your children to review during the game it makes it easier for them to pick their animimal and answer your questions.

Now you can kiss that mommy guilt goodbye, get the household tasks accomplished and still have fun with your children. Life is good!

Share Your Thoughts Thursday: Anne Romney and the Mommy Wars!

April 12, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

Did you happen to hear what Democratic consultant Hilary Rosen Stated? Ms. Rosen expressed that Mrs. Romney was no economic expert because she “hasn’t worked a day in her life.” Mrs. Romney instead chose to stay home and raise five sons. I included a clip and a link.

I am really interested in what moms have to say regarding this matter. Please feel free to vocalize your opinions and thoughts below.

Are you Chicken?

April 11, 2012April 11, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

As our children grow there always seems to be 3 items that my hubby and I are struggling to keep in our house. No matter how hard I try I can never seem to have enough toilet paper, bananas, and eggs. Seriously, it is like a thief enters our home at night and takes nothing but those 3 items. What is the deal?

So, when it comes to toilet paper I suppose I have a better understanding since we have 2 challenged butt wipers in our home. They are our kindergartener and preschooler. Don’t get me wrong, the problem isn’t that they can’t wipe their own butts properly; it is that they haven’t quite figured out how much toilet paper is enough and that you do not require half a role in order to properly clean your behind. They are learning, I realize this, and one day they will be able to differentiate a BM that requires 15 squares from one that only requires 10 squares. And yes, on that day I think we might just hold a graduation ceremony, they will graduate to superior wipers! We will be so proud and our savings account can finally exist!

The second item that quickly disappears in our house is bananas. Don’t get me wrong I am happy that our children reach for the bananas when they want a snack but my hubby and I have not enjoyed a banana since 2004, and yes that was a Before Children (BC) year. It has gotten to the point that if we ever want to have a banana again I will have to call my hubby as soon as I get home from the grocery store and have him rush home from work, right then and there! His co-workers will probably think he is rushing home for an afternoon delight. He’ll be like, no; I just want to enjoy a freakin banana for once! (Yes, that just played through in my mind too and I agree it didn’t sound good but I am seriously talking about bananas).

The last item that leaves our home faster than it came in is eggs. I usually purchase at least 2 dozen a week. Although, now that I think about it I guess I do use them a lot…

I usually make eggs for breakfast at least once a week
I make eggs for dinner once a week (add some green peppers, red onions, a few mushrooms and it is a meal).
I boil at least 6 eggs on Monday and use them for salads throughout the week (if you add an egg and some garbanzo or kidney beans protein has now been added to the salad).
I also boil eggs for egg salad sandwiches/wraps.
Lastly, I use eggs to cook and bake with as well, when recipes call for them.

So I guess it makes sense why we are constantly running to the store to get those 3 items. However as a mom I am always looking for ways to make the days, errands, etc. more efficient. And while I don’t mind cleaning cloth diaper for our 20-month (she is 20 months today, where does the time go?) and cleaning the cat’s litter box, and our Labrador’s little gifts before the children go out to play in the backyard, I do draw the line at adult or big kid crap. So, toilet cloths to wipe the butt are definitely out of the question. And since the weather here in the mid-west isn’t conducive for banana trees I guess I will have to mark our calendar for 2028 when our youngest leaves for college. I will be crying all the way to the grocery store to purchase a bunch of bananas. I will, peel, bite, sob, chew, swallow, bite, sob, chew, swallow all the way home….that will be the day!

So I can’t fix the constant restocking of TP and bananas but I think I might have come up with a solution to the egg dilemma. We become backyard chicken enthusiasts!

I came across californiahatchery.com and they offer the option of purchasing a small minimum order quantity of just 3 chickens, making it easy for anyone to purchase poultry. Where competitors require a larger minimum order and since we do live within the city limits (I am still looking into this, not sure if we can officially have chickens but my fingers are crossed) I am pretty sure we cannot have a whole slew of chickens clucking (or whatever chickens do) away in the backyard. They assure that the chickens will be safely delivered via USPS (for those of you who might be interested they deliver anywhere in the United States).

I browsed their website and think I have located the chickens I want.

Black Copper Maran Chicken, they are generally quiet and docile; but they are quite active, taking well to free ranging in rough terrain and are also tough and disease-resistant. They were originally bred in the marshy areas of France and can cope with damper conditions. Marans lay around 150 dark brown eggs each year. Marans are a historically dual-purpose bird, prized not only for their dark eggs but for their table qualities as well (there you go; if they piss off the neighbors too much we can just eat them).

But there are other Chickens for Sale too!

They state that all chicken orders will hatch and ship between April – July 2012. They will notify you of your hatch and shipping date after you place your order.

So who’s with me? Or, are you chicken?

Allergy-friendly Food for Families (120 recipes)

April 10, 2012April 10, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

I am so excited Kiwi’s new cookbook; Allergy-friendly Food for Families is now available!!

For those of you who are not familiar with Kiwi it is a bi-monthly magazine about raising children the organic way. The magazine encourages moms and dads to make sustainable and healthy choices when it comes to nutrition and nurturing their children, and supports green lifestyles. On a personal note, I have been subscribing to Kiwi Magazine for 6 years. As soon as I receive I sit down and read it cover to cover, eager to read the lasted studies, eco-friendly kids’ gadgets, organic recipes, and much more.

I find myself disappointed when I realize I have read everything the issue had to offer and start counting down the days till the next months. Another added bonus for you money savvy moms, Kiwi magazine has coupons for organic products. Actually the amount you pay for a subscription you easily get back with the coupons provided thought a year. But I digress…back to the cookbook.

61NWe6WwYoL__SL110_ — Allergy-Friendly Food for Families: 120 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, and Soy-Free Recipes Everyone Will Enjoy

Even though my children do not have allergies they have friends and we have family member that do have allergies to gluten, nuts, eggs, dairy, or soy. It would be awesome to be able to make a meal for a family who has a sick child, new baby, or is grieving the loss of a family member but when that family has a child, children, or parent with certain allergies I am apprehensive to make them anything. Also, there are so many additives and preservatives that my children do not need so it is nice to have alternative recipes at my fingertips. This includes play dates with friends and birthday parties. Speaking of birthday parties, here is a cupcake recipe from the book Allergy-Friendly Food for Families that Kiwi has graciously shared with readers:

Golden Gluten-Free Cupcakes and Fudgy Chocolate Frosting

Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups sorghum flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1/2 cup tapioca starch

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup soy-free, nonhydrogenated margarine

1 1/2 cups raw cane sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup unsweetened apple juice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Fudgy Chocolate Frosting (see recipe below)

FUDGY CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

1/2 cup soy-free, nonhydrogenated margarine, at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 to 3 tablespoons unsweetened rice milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 20 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk the sorghum flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the margarine for about 1 minute, or until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes longer, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, apple juice, and vanilla and beat until well combined.
In batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until well-combined. Use a standard ice cream scoop to portion the batter into the paper liners. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Fudgy Chocolate Frosting:

In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the margarine until soft.
Add the powdered sugar in batches, and then add the cocoa powder, rice milk, and vanilla.
Beat for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Allow to come back to room temperature before frosting.

Use a small spatula to spread frosting on each cupcake. Enjoy!!!

Allergy-Friendly Food for Families is the most trustworthy, comprehensive, practical, and kid-friendly collection of recipes that exists for the important and growing audience of allergy-aware families. Unlike other allergy cookbooks, this book covers not one or two allergens, but the five most common allergens in kids: wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts, and soy. Each of the 120 recipes is free of at least three of these allergens; most are free of all five.

When parents are desperate for ideas for what to make for dinner (or lunch, or snack time), they want recipes from someone they trust, for food that tastes good, that doesn’t require a lot of fancy ingredients, and that the whole family can eat. Allergy-Friendly Food for Families is the ultimate resource. From the three crucial mealtimes (breakfast, lunch, dinner) to the “fun” foods families can’t live without (desserts, snacks, parties), parents are completely covered. Perhaps most importantly, all of these recipes are simple for parents to make.

Recipes such as Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies, Pear Yogurt Dunkers, Good-for-you Nachos, Polenta Mini Pizzas, Giant Cookie Cake, Veggie Bite Soup, and Cool Zucchini Noodles will make kids forget they have allergies. Parents will love the additional informational sections on spotting food allergies, stocking an allergy-free pantry, deciphering labels, and other frequently asked questions. (source: Amazon)

Does your child/children suffer from food allergies? Do you find it difficult to locate yummy allergy-friendly recipes? Do you know of a child/family that has food allergies? If so this might also make a great gift for that mom, (Mother’s Day is right around the corner).

Alleluia: We survived Easter! Mommy gets Starbucks!!

April 9, 2012October 2, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

Got Easter baskets? Well we do, 9! While the kiddos are sleeping off their chocolate hang overs (yep, we had chocolate bunny heads for breakfast with a side of Reece’s pieces. I was tired and they were so convenient. This is not something I am proud of but I am keeping it real) and our toddler is slowly remembering other words beside, “more bunny….more bunny….” I thought I might take a moment to share the past 48 hours.

At the culmination of Easter Sunday mass the entire congregation joined the choir in singing Jesus Christ Has risen today Alleluia. Since we do not sing Alleluia during Lent this song is quite a celebration. On a personal note I felt it was also a celebration of the fact that I had survived Easter. I belted out Alleluia at the top of my lungs (yes, out of tune, bad breath, and all).

For those of you not familiar with this song here ya go…..

My poor hubby did not have the best Easter. We had my family over to celebrate on Holy Saturday and then we were going to celebrate with his family on Easter Sunday. After my family left Saturday evening he started to get sick. It was at that moment that I thought my worst nightmare was coming true. I thought for sure I had given my family food poisoning on the first, and what would probably be the last time, I hosted a holiday celebration. So, I did what any good hostess would do, I made a phone call to see if anyone else was puking. As I listen to the ring tone my thoughts wandered. It could have been the potato salad, I made a lot, and maybe the middle wasn’t cold or something? Or was it the kielbasa? I didn’t eat the kielbasa but my hubby went to town on it and so did my uncles and grandpa. Oh, God, my poor grandfather, he survived colorectal cancer and just celebrated his 80^th birthday, and now it will be the kielbasa he had eaten my house that kills him.

holysaturday 028 — Is that Killer Potato Salad in the corner?

holysaturday 026 — Is that Killer Kielbasa behind the Lamb butter?

Finally my mom picked up the phone. Good news, no one else that attended our Easter celebration was sick, phew!!! So, my hubby went up to bed after helping me clean up from our celebration, how sweet is he? He was feeling miserable but helped me clean up and rearrange the furniture.

While he was sick upstairs I, I mean the “Easter bunny”, put the kiddos Easter baskets together and hid the Easter Eggs for the Hunt in the morning.

holysaturday 054 — I had to make our toddler’s hunt a little more obvious than the older kiddos.

At 6:30am our preschool was ready to hunt for some Easter Eggs, I did everything I could to stall. But by 7:30 I ran out of ideas and the kiddos sprang to action looking for Easter eggs like it was their JOB. Then they went through their Easter baskets and started playing with and eating some of the goodies in their baskets. My poor hubby missed out on all the fun but I did record Easter morning for him to watch later. At which time he can also play referee and determine if our daughter fouled and infringed on our son’s eggs. (Each kiddo hunts for different eggs; we learned this the hard way a few years ago. So our 19 month-old hunted little animal characters, preschooler, sports balls, and our six-year-old, cupcake shaped eggs).

By this point of the weekend I was starting to lag a bit, from the lack of sleep, activities of the week, and festivities of weekend. This mommy needed a break but I had to momup! for mass and the remainder of the day. My in-laws had reservations at Maumee Bay State Park Lodge for brunch after mass. Since by know it was apparent that my hubby had the stomach flu and head cold I would be putting in some parent overtime.

I managed to get all four of us dressed, diaper bag and church bags packed, and out the door to mass a ½ hour early, which is basically like being on time on Easter Sunday. It seems like everyone is catholic on Easter Sunday. Seriously, where are all these people the rest of the year? It was so crowded, a little claustrophobic. But that just might have been because our 19 month old is going through a clingy phase. Have you ever gone to the zoo and seen the orangutan family? You know the baby that is always hanging off of the mom? That is precisely how my daughter and I looked during mass. I was getting warm, sweating, a little light-headed from the lack of oxygen since she was squeezing my neck, and during the quiet reflection portions of mass she managed to yell “Mama…mama..mama” like having my eyes closed meant I was miles away. Thus, by the end of mass, while the entire congregation joined the choir in singing the beautiful and celebratory song I belted out Alleluia. Jesus Christ had risen and this mommy made it through the weekend and mass solo.

As I walked out of church I felt the warmth of the sunshine and a soft breeze, it was at that moment that it felt like God was speaking to me, telling me I had done good and I deserved a treat. I deserved a Grande iced hazelnut latte from Starbucks! That’s right baby, lent was over and it was time to celebrate and celebrate I did.

I buckled the kiddos in and the Yukon practically drove itself there, as if it too had missed that mommy friendly drive-thru that would bring peace, joy, and caffeine to its mom on the go driver.

Hello old friend….it has been so long….

Ahhh….

And the rest is history, a very messy history. Where’s the vacuum??

So, how was your Easter? Did you survive? What did you give up for lent and have since been reunited with?

Easter Preparation Eggstravaganza

April 8, 2012October 2, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

We have been busy preparing for Easter……
The kiddos had fun dying Easter eggs. Our son selected a fun space themed Easter egg kit from Target while our daughter opted for a 3D kit.

JELLO Eggs….

Easter Eggs Beverage Identifiers….

Crayons melted in Egg Molds ….

We placed these in the Easter basket to be blessed and our son will be taking them to Sunday School for the children to enjoy.

Our Easter Basket for the Blessing of the food…

Side Note: For those of you who have never attended the blessing of the food, it is a quick, very quick, 15 minute serve. It is such a wonderful tradition. I always look forward to seeing everyone’s beautiful baskets, their food, and the aroma of the food is amazing. I also like the fact that everyone is under dressed, you can tell all the moms, grandmas, and a few dads and grandpa’s have been busy at home preparing for Easter. They come in jeans, sweat pants, informal skits, and tennis shoes. There is a sense of community, joy, and love in this tradition.

Kiddos Easter clothes, sat out ready for the big day. Huge thank you to Nana who purchased the girls’ dresses and our son’s vest. I learned everything I know about clothes shopping, looking for the best bargain for your buck, complementing patterns and colors, shoes, etc. from her. Get this, the most difficult item of clothing to locate, the sweater! I think I purchased the one and only girl’s white sweater in town. Seriously, that was the most difficult item of clothing to locate. I findly found one at Sear’s Lands End department. Why are they making little girls clothing so complicated these days? Most contain crazy patterns, to tight clothing, to short shorts and skirts, I could go on but I won’t, back to Easter.

We rearranged our furniture in order to be able to accommodate 12 family members. We placed the living room furniture in the dinning room and the dinning room furniture in the living room. This is a small group, my mom’s home can accommodate the entire family which is usually 25-30 people. unfortunately our home is smaller and we would have to have Easter in shifts in order to accommodate 30 family members. I am praying that next year we will be in a larger home and we can host and celebrate Easter with the entire family. Then we setup the tabel for Easter.

I made some Easter Bunny cookies and carrots for dessert…..

Then it was time for the tired Easter Bunny to prepare the baskets and hide the eggs……..

I hope you have a very Hoppy ……

Win a $5,000 Professional Reorganization and Home Cleanup From JAWS Cleaning Products

April 6, 2012April 6, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

Here’s one way to clean and straighten up your house: You could win a $5,000 professional reorganization and thorough home cleanup in the JAWS Confess Your Mess contest on Facebook.

The JAWS (Just Add Water System) is sponsoring the contest. These home cleaning products come from Toledo-based JAWS International, Ltd.— the first U.S. company to put super-concentrated refills in easy-to-use, non-spill, child resistant cartridges that don’t require any pouring or mixing. That allows you to keep reusing the bottle and reduce plastic waste so it is good for the environment.

How the contest works

1. Like this blog

2. Visit JAWSCleans.com or Facebook.com/jawscleaners

Apr. 2 – May 31 to enter

3. Just upload a photo of your home’s messiest room for your chance to win. It could be your kitchen, bedroom or playroom — any room inside your house that’s been neglected. (Sorry, closets, basements and garages don’t count.)

They are even giving away daily prizes of a JAWS home cleaning kit containing all four JAWS products:

JAWS Glass & Hard Surface Cleaner provides a streak-free shine for glass, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops as well as TV and computer screens. It’s ammonia and alcohol free. JAWS Multi-Purpose Cleaner/Degreaser removes dirt, grease and grime from countertops, appliances, outdoor furniture and sealed wood floors. JAWS Bathroom Cleaner/Deodorizer cleans up soap scum as well as lime, oil and mineral deposits throughout your bathroom. JAWS Disinfectant Cleaner/Degreaser kills 99.9 percent of germs on nonporous surfaces where viruses and bacteria live.

How the JAWS system works

· JAWS cleaners are the coolest home cleaning products to hit the market. The concentrated refill cartridge is attached to your first bottle of cleaner. So you’re really getting two bottles in one.

· After you use up the first bottle, fill it with tap water; drop in the refill cartridge, twist on the sprayer, shake it up and you’re ready to clean.

· Studies show that JAWS cleaning products clean as well as — or even better than — other national brands. But they cost up to 60 percent less.

· You can save even more money by buying the cartridges and reusing your bottle. That means less plastic going into crowded landfills — so you’re helping the environment and saving money.

WHERE TO BUY JAWS

The company behind JAWS

JAWS International, Ltd., a separate spinoff of Canberra Corporation, produces JAWS cleaners in Toledo, Ohio. Canberra has been manufacturing commercial cleaning products since 1965. Since 2004, commercial cleaning services have used millions of JAWS cartridges as they clean hotels, schools, restaurants and offices. Visit JawsCleans.com for more information.

Imagination Station is a Spring Break Destination: Opening Day of Smash Your Food!!

April 4, 2012April 4, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

Since our son is on Spring break from preschool this week we asked him to list a few fun spots to visit and on the top of that list was Imagination Station. I have to admit I was pretty excited he chose Imagination Station. Not only do I enjoy reading and participating in the various science exhibits but our preschooler and very active toddler enjoy Imagination Station’s littleKIDSPACE, making it the perfect destination for the entire family.

Little KIDSPACE is a learning world designed for children kindergarten age and younger. The littlest adventurers can hop aboard a fire truck, shop in the grocery store or climb their favorite tree house while learning about forces, motion, math and life science. Little KIDSPACE Studio features a daily interactive story and activity.

Every day in Little KIDSPACE Science Studio, a special hands-on activity area within Little KIDSPACE, one of their qualified team members sits down with the kids and reads them a story, then facilitates a complimentary activity with kids. http://www.imaginationstationtoledo.org/content/exhibits/learning-worlds/

Once our little adventure seeker is tired out we like to venture away from Little KIDSPACE and enjoy the other exhibits Imagination Station has to offer like ENGINEER IT!

Think It. Build It. Test It … Do It Again!

ENGINEER IT! is a highly interactive learning world that presents science as an open-ended discovery process. Visitors of all ages can design and build boats, windmills, airplanes, buildings and bridges using the Think it, Build It, Test It and Do It Again engineering philosophy.

Presented by: SSOE

Another favorite is MIND ZONE.

Mind Zone helps you discover how the mind processes, interprets and creates illusions and perceptions. Home to the Distorted Gravity Room, built using thoughtful construction and optical illusions to create a visual distortion that you’ll never forget. Mnid Znoe payls tikrcs wtih yuor mnid. You wno’t bveleie waht you see. (Yes misspelling is deliberate but I bet you could still read it).

Our Preschoolers favorite spot in MINDZONE is the Distorted Gravity Room, he goes through at least three times each time we visit.

But what we are really looking forward to and what unveils this week is the Eat it Up! permanent exhibit.

This newest experience at Imagination Station, Eat It Up! Is presented by ProMedica.

Get your heart pumping as you take on the Wheel of Fire and the Heart Rate Rally, Smash Your Food to smithereens, and literally Get in the Action. Eat It Up!, a highly interactive exhibition focused on nutrition and exercise tells the story of how the choices you make today affect your body. Eat Smart. Play Hard. Have Fun. The choice is yours!

Eat It Up!, a permanent 2,000+ square foot exhibition area, containing 7 major exhibits, a demonstration area and larger than life graphics will include: The Wheel of Fire, Lifestyle Camera, Food Feud, Social Table, Get in the Action, Heart Rate Rally… Ready. Set. Go!, The Kitchen, and Smash Your Food.

I personally can’t wait to checkout Smash Your Food which was recently launched as an iPad app.

Have you ever wanted to take a burger, an ice cream sundae or French fries and smash it to into an unrecognizable mess? Winner in First Lady Michelle Obama’s ‘Apps for Healthy Kids’ Competition, this fun and exciting mobile game encourages families to smash real foods—burgers, cola, French Fries and entire meals and to learn about nutrition, inspiring healthier food choices while providing parents with personalized emails filled with nutrition advice.

The exhibit will feature a life-sized Smash Your Food machine, which smashes common foods to illustrate how much fat, sugar, and salt, is in each, subtly encouraging kids and parents to make healthier choices. In addition, Smash Your Food will be bringing in “Master Smash”, a 10-foot tall, real-life robot that smashes the food in the game, to smash real food in-person on opening day.

So, whether you have never been to Imagination Station or you are a regular visitor, when planning your spring break make certain you include this station as one of your destinations!

Traveling: Where to stay?

April 3, 2012April 3, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

Okay so my hubby and I have been contemplating a summer vacation but like most families our budget is tight. So the task of determining where to allocate the limited funds can be tricky. I usually break the budget into four areas; room, food, travel, and entertainment/amusement. I always like to begin with where we will be staying. Since we do have three young kiddos it is not much of a vacation for mommy and daddy when we are all stuck in a one room hotel. So, I would prefer to stay in a place that has two bedrooms and bath. And it would be a dream come true if we could stay in an apartment like accommodation or even a house, but again, that is expensive. I had even contemplated a bed and breakfasts but the cost is a factor, or is it?

I came across this awesome site that lists homes and apartments that you can stay in when vacationing, it is like a modern-day bed and breakfast. Check it out…