Garden Ideas, Part 2
Another summer garden crop that we have had much success with is tomatoes. I usually spend all spring thinking about fresh tomatoes. And I usually end up planting too many tomato plants. (We also get fresh tomatoes all summer from our local CSA farm.) We get the tomato seedlings free at the local university open house in the spring, so we don’t even pay for the seeds/seedlings! And I forget, every year, just how big the vines can get! They usually end up overshadowing whatever I have planted close to them.
Cherry tomatoes are a huge hit with The Boy. I will often find him out in the garden, eating juicy, red cherry tomatoes right off the vine. Of course, by the end of the summer, I am giving away bags of them to everyone in the neighborhood.
The regular tomatoes, though, I am a little more frugal with. What we don’t eat fresh (on pizza, sandwiches and just plain!), I like to freeze. I freeze tomatoes whole, without cooking them. I don’t know if this is the ‘right’ way to do it, but it works for me. I cut off the tops, put several in a freezer ziploc bag and ’suck’ as much air out as I can before sealing it. I label the bag and pop it in the freezer. Freezer tomatoes are great to use in sauces and such later on. Take a bag out of the freezer and allow it to thaw a bit in the refrigerator. Empty the tomatoes into a microwave-safe bowl and finish thawing. The skins slip off quite easily and the tomatoes can go right into the pot or the pan.
Another way to save your excess tomatoes is to make spaghetti sauce and freeze that. If you live in an area that will support the growth of tomatoes all summer, try growing some yourself and save some $$ on fresh tomatoes all summer and sauces throughout the winter!
Garden Ideas, Part 1
We are lucky enough to live in a very moderate climate and can have a garden growing all year round. Here are some of our success stories. They might be crops for you to try if you too live in a moderate climate. I have found the internet to be the best resource for figuring out what to plant and when.
We have a variety of herbs growing, especially during the summer months. Parsley, chives, rosemary, thyme, and basil are wonderful to have on hand and fresh. I hate to buy an entire bunch of fresh herbs at the store when a recipe only calls for one teaspoon or some very small amount. This feels very wasteful to me and I haven’t had success with freezing or drying the leftovers yet. I love to just grab my scissors and step outside to clip what I need right off the plant! Herbs can easily be grown in pots and planters too, if space or temperature is an issue for you.
We have had huge success with basil and rosemary especially. The Man has to hack back the rosemary every fall and we still get a huge bush by the next summer. Basil thrives in our region during the summer months. We love to use it fresh in salads, on pizzas and in sandwiches. But my favorite thing about basil is pesto. Pesto is so easy to make and freezes really well. Throw some fresh basil in a food processor with some olive oil, pine nuts and garlic. Process until smooth. Use it fresh with pasta or in eggs or as a sandwich spread. Or freeze it to use throughout the winter months. I freeze it in ice cube trays, then pop it out and store it in a freezer ziploc bag. At the end of the basil growing season, I make a huge batch and freeze it to use throughout the cooler months.
Rice Krispie Treats, Fun for Everyone
It was cool and rainy this weekend, the kind of days that call out for cookies. I decided to make Rice Krispie Treats. The Boy helped and I realized that making these tasty treats has great potential to be a fun, fairly inexpensive activity.
I haven’t tried the generic brand of Rice Krispies (Crisp Rice?), but I assume it wouldn’t be that much different than the Kellogg’s brand. And I always just buy the cheapest brand of marshmallow, especially if I am making the treats within a few days. Other than that, all you need is butter or margarine and perhaps some food coloring or other little ‘extras.’
Melting the butter and marshmallows needs to be closely supervised. We don’t want burned fingers or hands. Make sure you use a large pot so that it is easy to stir in the cereal after everything is melted. Once you have stirred in the cereal, it is easy for a young child to help press the treats into the greased pan or shape them.
I’m sure the ideas are endless, but you could add some food coloring to the marshmallow/butter concoction as it is melting. Add red and shape the treats into hearts for Valentine’s Day. Add green and shape into shamrocks for St. Patty’s Day. Add orange and make ‘carrots’ for Easter. I could go on. Shaping the treats is fun. Just remember to butter/grease your hands really well. Or use greased saran wrap to shape the treats. Add M&Ms or other candies before they cool to decorate. My favorite has been the carrot-shaped treats with green sour worm ‘tops.’
The Boy is not a fan of chocolate. (He doesn’t get it from me!) So these are a fun treat for him to help make and eat. If you wrap each square or shape in saran, they do last a few days, but of course, I think they are best when eaten right out of the pan!
Quiet Book
Last spring I undertook the most ambitious craft project that I have ever done. I remembered from my childhood having a cloth activity book and decided that that would be just the thing for The Boy’s second birthday gift. I don’t know if my memory serves me correctly and if, indeed, my mother made my activity book. My mom is gone now and my own book hasn’t been seen for probably 20 years. But I thought that it would be ‘fun’ to make the book for The Boy. Little did I know that ‘fun’ would be two weeks worth of a huge project all over the dining room table and several nearly sleepless nights.
A friend had made her son a cloth activity book a few years before and still had the pattern, so she lent it to me. The project was definitely more expensive than I had anticipated. I did, however, learn a lot and I have many supplies left over for future crazy projects.
The material was fairly expensive. I bought pre-quilted material for the cover and duck cloth for the inside pages. I used fabric scraps and buttons from around the house, but I did end up buying velcro, zippers, shoelaces, snaps and some other sewing materials. Oh, and heat-bond hemming material. Did I mention that I don’t have a sewing machine? (And don’t want one - that just opens up a whole new world of crafts that I don’t have time or space for.)
The heat-bonding took the longest. I had to heat-bond each page and most of the activities onto each page. I ended up using some heavy duty textile adhesive for the thicker pieces. All in all, if I ever attempt another one, I think I’ll spend a week with my mother-in-law and use her sewing machine.
However, if you know how to follow directions and like big craft projects, this might just be the thing for you. The book turned out beautifully and The Boy loves to play with it. I even got brave toward the end and changed a couple of the pages to suit us a little better.
There are many store-bought cloth activity books out there, but having the hand-made book really makes it more special to us. In the future, I can tell The Boy the stories behind many of the fabric scraps used in the book.
Happy Crafting!
Enjoy the Simplest Things
I think the simplest things in life can be the sweetest.
Looking in the bedroom and seeing The Boy and His Dad laying on the bed reading together.
Eating cherry tomatoes right off the vine.
Finding the biggest or ‘coolest’ leaf.
Stopping to smell the flowers on a walk.
Eating homemade bread right out of the oven.
Getting to read (!) on the patio while The Boy is busy emptying the pool water into the sandbox.
Walking around, checking out the wares at the local Farmers’ Market.
And here’s the kicker. Most of these simple pleasures are free! Don’t forget to count your blessings as you encounter life on a single income.
Emergency Contact Information
Even though we rarely leave The Boy with a sitter, I felt compelled to create an Emergency Information sheet for him soon after he was born. It’s actually nice to have on hand. I keep a couple of copies with the age and weight sections blank. Then I can just fill out a new one every few months or so. This is a handy, one-sheet to have for sitters or even for yourself.
I have emergency and non-emergency numbers for poison control, fire, police, and gas and electric. I have my home address and directions on how to get to my home. This might be especially helpful for a young babysitter who might need to tell an emergency service provider how to get to your home. I have The Boy’s name, birthplace, blood type, immunizations (I just pencil in “18 months immunizations complete” or something to that effect), age, weight and known allergies.
I have various family numbers listed, along with the names and numbers of our pediatrician, eye doctor, dentist and preferred hospital. At the bottom of the page, I’ve listed our medical insurance information and a brief, signed medical release statement in the event that The Boy needs medical attention and I cannot be reached. I’m happy to say (knocking on wood) that we’ve never had to use this information. It sure is nice to have all in one place though. I do leave a copy out when we have a sitter and I usually have a copy in the diaper bag for the rare occasion that I leave him at someone else’s house.
911
Poison Control
Fire Department Non-Emergency Number
Police Department Non-Emergency Number
PG&E Emergency Number
Home Address and Phone Number:
Directions :
Full Name:
Born at:
Blood Type:
Immunizations:
Age:
Weight:
Allergies to Food:
Allergies to Medicine:
Family Numbers:
Doctor:
Dentist:
Eye Doctor:
Preferred Hospital:
Medical Insurance Information:
Medical Release Information: I authorize any hospital or emergency facility to administer emergency medical treatment for my child, , in the event that I cannot be reached.
10 Good Reasons You May Want to Have Kids
After reading 10 Good Reasons You May not Want to Have Kids, I thought I might redo the list from my own perspective.
- They are Noisy
Seeing the pure joy, coupled with giggling/screaming with laughter while going down a slide or going so high on the swings that they think they are going into low earth orbit can’t be beat. And sometimes out of all that noise comes the funniest comments you have ever heard. - Social Responsibility
Raising your children to be outstanding world citizens can make you so proud your heart will burst. Until you have kids you never realize why your parents wanted you to be successful in everything you did and how your achievements may have meant more to them then to you. - They Are an Economic Drain
Money is only money and by managing it, say from websites with great single income parenting advice, you can spend more time having fun with your children then worrying about money. - You Have to Teach them Things
For those people out there without kids, a kid is like a pet that learns to talk and never stops learning tricks. You get to teach them all kinds of nifty things. You can be a minor deity just by knowing how to make a proper mud pie or how to rub a balloon on their hair and stick it to a wall. - The TV Shows and Books you will have to Endure
You get to rehash some of your favorite books from when you were a kid and can make up funny voices for them that will have the kids rolling in the aisles. Also, you can expose them to older shows like the Muppet Show and the original Scooby Doo. - Their Friends
They bring home the most interesting people and you realize that not everyone raises their kids like you and amazingly it works out. Plus you can be the cool parent that always has the homemade cookies or the cardboard box fort to play in. - Constant Illness
The parenting bond is never stronger than when you are nursing a kid back to health. The feeling you get when they finally fall asleep and look so peaceful after throwing up all over the place is priceless. - They Attract the Ill-Will of Strangers
A phrase that sticks in my mind. “I’ve got a .45 and shovel, you won’t be missed.”
- Once they are Born you are Pretty much Stuck with them
You get to see your children go from drooling blobs to feisty teenagers to respectable adults to parents themselves. And you can look back on it all and be amazed at how much you have accomplished by having children. You won’t remember having to spend $200 on that new carseat but you will remember reaching back and having your child grasp your fingers for the first time while riding in it. - They are Ungrateful
They only go through this phase for a while and then they realize how smart you have “become” and maybe you do know something.
Bike Trailer Review
Way back Before Kid, the Man and I used to do a lot of bike riding. We met at college in a very bike-friendly community and going out for an evening bike ride after dinner was par for the course. Over the course of the years we moved to an equally flat town, though one that was not quite as bike friendly, gave up my bike and had The Boy. As The Boy began to approach his toddler years, we realized that maybe it hadn’t been such a great idea to get rid of my bike! We needed a way to get out in the evening as a family without the stroller or the car. A friend (a non-bike-rider) gave me her bicycle and suddenly we were back in business. The only problem being what to do with The Boy.
Our first decision was whether to go with an on-the-bike seat or a trailer. We opted for the trailer for various reasons, one of which being that I was uncomfortable with balancing the bicycle with the baby on it. So we embarked on a journey into the world of bicycle trailers. We wanted something fairly inexpensive, yet safe. the overwhelming choice for safety and quality was the Burley. However, this was far out of our price range. And you don’t often see them at garage sales, as people tend to keep them forever (at least in our area). After much research, we chose the InStep Quick N EZ. We are quite happy with this trailer. It cost less than $100. It seats two children and has some storage space as well. It attaches to the bike quite easily and was easy to assemble. We have yet to use the front wheel, but it does convert to a jog stroller as well. The only down-side for us is the space it takes up in the garage (along with our bikes).
Now, I must admit that the weekend after our trailer arrived our neighbors found an InStep Quick N Lite at a yard sale one street over - doh! However, they have had some problems with one wheel that was slightly bent when they bought it. I am perfectly satisfied with our trailer and the money we spent on it. We now have another free activity to pursue as a family. We often bike to the pedestrian bridge that spans the creek on the other side of town. The Boy loves to run back and forth on the bridge and watch for fish. And, especially on windy days, we are getting some exercise too!
Remember to wear your helmet! Happy Biking.
Making Money On The Side
After having decided to take the big step of becoming single-income parents, you may begin to wonder if there are any ways of making a little extra money on the side. Of course, if you do find a way, you might not be a single-income family any more! Some stay-at-home parents just need a little extra cash to keep them going. There are many opportunities out there. You just have to consider where your talents lie and how much time and energy you are willing to invest.
If your primary goal in becoming a single income family is to stay at home to care for your children, consider babysitting or providing daycare as an opportunity to earn some extra money. Check with your state’s laws regarding child care. In California at least, you can care for one other family’s children with out a license. However, obtaining a license is not terribly difficult or expensive, if you think that becoming a home daycare provider is for you. Even a simple babysitting swap with another stay at home parent might provide you with some extra time to yourself. Time for myself, in my experience, is sometimes even better than money.
Are you a convincing salesperson? Perhaps try phone sales or appointment setting for a company.
Are you a former teacher? Most communities have many tutoring opportunities from adult schools, to English as a Second Language classes to K-12 students’ needs.
Try working for a secret shopper company. You have to grocery shop every week anyhow, right?
My personal favorite way to make a little extra money is eBay. I can sit down at my computer for one hour a week (assuming I’m not already spending that hour writing these articles) and post several items for sale. I’ve sold things for friends and family too. I take a small cut of the profits.
Free Play at the Playground
The playground is a great, free place to spend the afternoon or morning or whatever time of day suits your needs. If you have one within walking distance of your house, even better. The playground can be a place to stop for 10 minutes to give the kids a chance to run off some energy (good luck getting them to leave after only 10 minutes, though). Or it can be the destination for a long afternoon. Or maybe it is a place to meet up with other stay at home parents or the local playgroup.
Find a park that fits your needs. For an infant, find a place where you can park the stroller and let the baby play on the grass or on a blanket. If you are outside, make sure there are shaded areas. Baby swings are great. If you have young twins, sit them in the baby swing back to back.
Your toddler might be starting to climb on anything and everything. If this is the case, try out the play structure area yourself. Make sure the steps are safe and if there are places where your enthusiastic little one might tumble, stay with them as they climb. Check out the ground cover around any climbing structure as well. Thoroughly check out any sand play areas, particularly if they are not covered and if there are cats living in the area. Baby swings are still great for toddlers until they get too big. If your toddler is a ‘runner,’ watch for areas where s/he could run off or run toward a street.
Bigger kids might want a more intricate climbing structure. If they are old enough to keep track of their own toys, take a kickball or other toy to keep them interested. You may want to label the toys you take to the playground with your telephone number (not your name or your child’s name!) in case they are left behind.
If you are going to spend a significant amount of time at a park or playground, pack a diaper bag before you go. Include diapers, water or other drinks, snacks and sunscreen. If it has been rainy recently, take an old towel to wipe down the slides and other equipment. If there aren’t benches, take a blanket to sit on. If there are muddy areas in the park, take a plastic bag for soiled shoes and clothes.
Teach your kids from an early age to stay within ‘vision distance’ of you. They should be able to see you at all times. And you, as well, should pay attention to them all you can. Although I know the chance to sit down and chat with other stay at home parents is mighty tempting. If you are taking your child’s friend with you, check with their parents to make sure they don’t have any allergies that you should be aware of. If the play structure is wooden, do a once over for splinter-y areas. If the structure is plastic or metal, check for heat before sending your kids onto it.
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