Trouble Flossing Your Toddlers Teeth?

Now that my toddler practically has a full mouth of teeth, she has a few that are touching. According to our dentist that's when it's time to start flossing. Not only to prevent cavities and promote good dental hygiene, but the sooner you start the sooner they will get used to having their teeth flossed. After several endless attempts of trying to floss my 2 year olds teeth, I discovered these Fun Flossers made by DenTek. Let's face it who wants to have someone elses hands in their mouth...especially large fingers.

DenTek Fun Flossers encourage healthy hygiene at an early age and they are designed to fit in kids and parents hands, easily reaching all teeth. It's amazing...my daughter loves the colorful handles and she lets me floss her teeth at ease! I purchased these at Target, but I'm sure you can locate these at any drug store.

Recycling Greeting Cards

Throughout the year it is easy for greeting cards to pile up in a junk drawer. From birthday, holiday, to special occasion, greeting cards are endless. Instead of throwing them away, how about supporting a good cause and making a difference in a child's life. Send them to St. Jude's Ranch where children will use your old cards to make new ones. These children actually make new cards by removing the front and attaching a new back.

This is an activity you can even get your children involved with and they will know that they are making a difference in another child's life! A friend introduced me to the idea several years ago and I've been doing it every since. For more information visit: http://stjudesranch.org/help_card.php

Cards may be donated by sending them to:

St. Jude's Ranch for Children
100 St. Jude's Street

Boulder City, NV 89005-1618

Attn: Recycled Cards

On The Go?

I can understand that being pregnant and traveling may turn into a disaster when you need to use the bathroom. That's why I use www.tena.com when I am on the go! Using your Blackberry or iPhone, locating a bathroom is only a simple click away. All you need to know is the zip code of where you are and several options will pop up. It's also a great site to use while planning a road trip. You'll never have to wonder where the next rest stop is.

Snag Gift Cards At a Discount

Looking to save $$$ this holiday season? Go to www.plasticjungle.com where you can buy second-hand gift cards at low prices. You can either give them away as gifts or use them your self. Inventory is updated daily and a buyer can save up to 40% off face value. The site guarantees all cards listed and expiration date and conditions of each card are posted so you don't have to worry. If you happen to have a gift card that you wan to sell, the web site will pay you up 85% of the face value.

Setting A Good Financial Example

Today as women, we are more involved than ever in the financial decision making of our household. A recent study by Women & Co found that 63% of women are the CFO of their household. Therefore the impact that we will have on our children's future financial decision making is enormous. We can choose, as mother's, to have a positive or negative impact on our next generation. Here are some tips to setting a good financial example for your children.

1. Talk To Your Children About Money. Money really needs to be an open and ongoing topic with your children. Opening up the dialog, gives them the opportunity to ask questions and learn about smart financial guidelines.
2. Get Financially Fit. Get a piggy bank and create opportunities in which your children can "work" for money. Such as payments for tasks outside the household routine.
3. Practice What You Preach. The financial decisions you make will have an impact on your children. If you are responsible with your finances than your children will model it.
4. Create A Common Goal. Get your kids involved in the family financial planning early by creating a family fund that will be put toward a goal everyone agrees on. That could be a vacation, a gift, or a charity that all the family members would like to support.
5. Know Why Money Matters. Finding a balance between your family's finances and your family life. The finances should support the family life, not control it.

Laundry Saving Ideas

• Instead of changing the bed sheets every week, change them every other week. By going to bed clean it will help keep your sheets clean too.
• Reuse bath towels. Instead of putting them in the laundry after every use, change them out every week or so.
• Assign a bath towel color to each family member so they know which one is theirs.
• Throwing a dry towel in with wet clothes helps the load dry faster.
• If your clothes are clean fold them and put them away to wear another time instead of putting them in the laundry.

Creative and Cost-Effective Tips

When your children outgrow their sand box, convert it to a garden. Grow vegetables, plants, and flowers. It’s a creative and healthy way to teach children healthy eating habits and raising a garden.

Looking for cost effective ideas? Here are 3 ways to save on much needed alone time with the hubby, especially if family isn’t around to help out!

Go on a date during the day:

Going out for lunch or a matinee is cheaper than fancy dinner and an evening movie. Plus a responsible teenager is probably more than willing to baby-sit at a discounted rate mid-day.

Group date:

Team up with other friends who have children and split the cost of a sitter. Offer to pay the sitter a little more, you will still pay less than if she were working for you alone.

Trade with friends:

Ask a friend to watch your children and than offer to watch theirs. It’s a win win!

Some Creative And Useful Tips

What to do with those old winter gloves…Make animal puppets by cutting off the fingers!

If your kids get sick of their toys, divide them into big plastic containers, and each week, bring out a different one. It’s like they are getting new toys!

Summer will be here before we know it. When you are at the beach, make sure to bring baby powder. It’s the best way to get rid of sand!

What to do with those old baby clothes hangers. Here are 4 ways to recycle them!

Make wings for dress-up:
Align two hangers hooks to form an oval and tape them together. Cut some ribbon and tie around the tiny hooks inside each hanger (this is so your child can put them around their shoulder). Than cut paper or fabric and attach to hanger.

Ribbon Organizer:
Snip off a piece of hanger right above one corner. Than just slip the ribbon spools onto the hanger, tape back together and it hang wherever you want to.

Bubble Wand:
Pour bubble solution into a nice big baking dish and have a blast!

Barrette Holder:
Tie some ribbon onto the bottom of the hanger and snap the barrettes on the ribbon.