Keeping Kids Hydrated

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Janae

It’s summertime. The temperatures are rising, the sun is beating down, the kids are endlessly running and playing outdoors, and it is hot! It’s the perfect recipe for dehydration.

Generally, around this time of year, I am constantly washing cups that my kids have used to get drinks of water in throughout the day. Last year, I went for the paper cup idea, but found we were spending a lot of money in paper cups. My kids were only looking for a quick drink before they ran off again to play on the tramp or run in the sprinklers. On their next trip in, they grabbed a new cup and the cycle continued…

…Until I found a more efficient way to keep my kids hydrated. I bought a bunch of waterbottles, the kind with flip tops and straws (click here to see some examples). Then, I labeled each one with their names and handed them over to them. No more paper cups, no more endless dishwashing. And, since my kids can carry their water bottles with them, they are constantly drinking which means no more dehydration. Another problem solved.

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How to Protect Valuables from Theft (You’re gonna love it)

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Heidi

Okay, Mamas, introducing the ULTIMATE anti-theft security system! Leaving valuables in your car? No problem. Want to take a dip in the ocean but need to leave your wallet on the beach. Not to worry. Watching your kids on the playground and don’t want someone to take your stuff? We got your back.

Check it out:

theft security1
Begin with a diaper (preferably clean)
theft security2
Fill diaper with valuables
theft security3
Wrap up the diaper

Wa-la! Guaranteed NO ONE’S gonna touch it! (Just don’t be mistaken and throw it away! 😉 )

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Semi-Homemade Pizza Trick

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Cheri

Do you love homemade pizza but don’t feel confident in making the dough? Or maybe you don’t have the time? If so, here’s a little trick. Check with your local Costco or Sam’s Club to see if their Food Court sells pizza dough balls to the public.

I know Sam’s Club does, but I’m not sure about Costco. They’ll sell you a whole box of frozen pizza crust dough that has about 15 or so dough balls. The box costs about $18-20. So you get dough for a large pizza for just over a buck. If you work during the day, just take the dough out of your freezer in the morning and it’ll be ready to go by the time you get home.

Butter or spray a pizza pan or cookie sheet, or use a pizza stone. Spread out the dough, top with sauce, toppings, and cheese and bake at 425 degrees for 12-18 minutes. Easy dinner, light on the budget, and almost completely homemade!

Another great thing is that the dough can be used for so much. Try it as calzones, pizza rolls, breadsticks, or even fry it for quick donuts or fry bread! Or try my dessert S’mores or Janae’s Turkey Stromboli this Thanksgiving!

For individual quick pizzas for lunch at home with the kids, use crescent dough. Either keep it as a triangle or shape it into a circle, then spread the toppings on and bake. It is yummy and a quick solution to have on hand.

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The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Sunny

Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I’ve never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl. (June 20, 1942)

I recently read The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank, for the first time. Wow. No wonder Anne and her diary are so famous. What a wonderful read. I definitely want to share it with my children, especially my daughters, when they are about 14 years old.

I long to ride a bike, dance, whistle, look at the world, feel young and know that I’m free, and yet I can’t let it show. Just imagine what would happen if all eight of us were to feel sorry for ourselves or walk around with the discontent clearly visible on our faces. Where would that get us? (December 24, 1943)

I’d like to read it bit by bit, sometimes together with my daughter, sometimes separately, and discuss what Anne was going through. There are so many topics that she comes across, and though it would be too much to discuss them all, it would be a chance to bring up so many things I would want my daughter to talk to me about, if she needed or wanted to.

We have many reasons to hope for great happiness, but . . . we have to earn it. And that’s something you can’t achieve by taking the easy way out. Earning happiness means doing good and working, not speculating and being lazy. Laziness may look inviting, but only work gives you true satisfaction. (July 6, 1944)

How inspiring to see a young girl, who felt so insignificant, follow the spark within her to do all she could to bring light to the world and be the best person she could. And to see that even though she lived in hiding and died young, her thoughts have influenced so many people the world over. Feeling insignificant in no way indicates insignificance.

Boys will be boys. And even that wouldn’t matter if only we could prevent girls from being girls.

Just as a warning, there are sometimes explicit reflections about sexuality, morality, and war, so I wouldn’t want kids reading the diary at too young an age or disrespectfully. I would think twice before having boys read it (not that they shouldn’t, just it should be thought about) as there is a lot about the female puberty experience. The passages I noted that you may want to review as you consider this are written on the dates March 18, 23, and 24 of 1944.

How true Daddy’s words were when he said: all children must look after their own upbringing. Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.

Here are some of the possible discussion topics that I noted down.

World War II, world history, and war in general
Character
Hard work vs. doing what is easy
Human behavior
Understanding yourself and others
Religion
Education
Opportunities
Gratitude
Potential
Gender equality
Relationships
mother/daughter
peers
family
others
Boys
infatuation
morality
Handling suffering
physical
emotional
Food
Writing

And more. The website annefrank.org is a great resource for learning more about Anne, her circumstances and times (try the virtual tour of the annex, very cool and informative) as is the Anne Frank Guide, which has lots of pictures of their hideout as well. But I strongly encourage you to read her diary!


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Watching Summer Movies for Cheap or Free!

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Kerri

Need an inexpensive way to cool off this summer? Take advantage of the summer movie series offered at several movie theaters nationwide!

With prices ranging from free to $2, you can’t go wrong to take all the kids to see the selected G or PG rated movie. They usually have great deals on popcorn and drinks, or you could do like me and bring in your own healthier snacks and water bottles. I have also noticed that they usually show the previews and commercials they show before the movie begins are kid-friendly and are short. And if it says a movie starts at 10:00, that is when the movie starts — not the previews 🙂

Here are some of the national theater links I know about. Be sure to click on your local theater to get specific details.

Regal Cinemas offer $1 movies that are rated G or PG. They are typically every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 AM, but be sure to check with your local theater for details.


Cinemark, Century, CineArt, and Tinseltown Theatersoffer $1 movies or you can buy a punch card for 10 movies for $5. Of course, you’d want to check the movie list first to determine if there are 5 movies that you would really like to see. Also, be sure to print off your coupon for discounted snacks, available when you click on your theater location at the bottom of the page.

Classic Cinemasopen their doors at 9 AM to meet characters, fun games, and sponsors that hand out information and (if you’re lucky) local coupons. Movies typically start at 10 AM.

Of honorable mention: While AMC doesn’t seem to have a Summer Movie program set up this year, they do have Sensory Friendly Screentimes, with the lights turned up, the volume turned lower, and the acceptance for individuals to comment, sing, shout, and participate as some children and individuals tend to do.

Can’t find a movie you like? Or don’t have a location near you? Then spice up your summer days with free or cheap movie rentals. Bummer that you’ll have to fit the air conditioning bill, but here are some cheap ways to get the movies you want straight to your home:

Check your library. If you don’t see the movie you are looking for, ask a library if it is available at another branch and can be sent over, or perhaps you can be put on a waiting list.

Watch movies or TV episodes online. Hulu.com still offers several TV episodes for children free of charge, though to access a wider database, you can opt for a free trial of HuluPlus. YouTube also has a list of free movies you can watch online, including Popeye and The Velveteen Rabbit. You can also opt for a free one month trial of AmazonPrime for free online streaming. And let’s not forget about the free trials offered by Netflix.

Redbox is another cheap way to get movies, so why not get them for free! Here are 4 free ways to get a free DVD today:

1. Luckily, these 3 codes nearly always work!

DVDONME
BREAKROOM
REDBOX

2. Click on InsideRedbox for a list of current free codes. Take the entire list with you, as some codes may have expired or will only work at specific locations. As a reference, DVDONME tends to work the most. You can also download the IPhone app to get the list right to your phone ($0.99 for the app).

3. Sign up for Redbox texts and they will send you a code. Text SIGNUP to 727272. They will also send you one promo code every month. You can text STOP to the same number at anytime to unsubscribe.

4. Sign up for the Redbox email group and you will receive promo codes monthly. To get your first code, you need to rent one movie first, then a code will be sent to you for your next rental.

Happy Summer Movie Watching!

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Giant Squishy Water Bag — Summer Day Fun

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Kerri

Feel like it’s getting hot out there? Well, if you feel like your summer has been hotter than usual, you are not alone. Apparently the U.S. is in a major heat wave and drought with 28 states recording the warmest 6 months on record (see here for the article — sorry, I’m a weather nerd and I love it).

So together as a nation, we are trying to beat the heat…and save water. So it didn’t take me long to test out this new idea:

Make a giant water bag to cool off in the hot summer

A Giant Squishy Water Bag
to jump on
march on
lay on
play on
and ultimately cool off on.

All you need are 2 clear plastic shower curtain liners and a roll of duct tape. And a hose. And water for the said hose. Kids are optional — I had enough fun cooling off myself!

Just lay the liners on top of each other and tape of the sides like a giant pocket. Leave yourself an opening at the corner to fit your hose through. Then turn on the hose and let it fill up! In a few minutes, you’ll have the most amazing water-play while staying dry.

For added fun, you could add food coloring to dye the water (somehow the blue water made it that much more refreshing), and small NON – SHARP objects for some fun I-SPY outdoor learning (think foam letters).

We also added a sprinkler and a hose down our play slide…so the splashes you see in the pic are not leaks — they are puddles!

We stayed out all day, marching, jumping, tumbling, resting, with a break for SqueeZurt popsicles (YUM! see this post). And the water bag really held up strong to the fun these kids put it through! Even sitting on the water bag was just soo cool and refreshing! Give it a try! You’ll be glad you did. And your kids will be, too!

Beware: You might receive the “coolest mom award” from neighborhood kids 🙂

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Moral Movie Reviews

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Sunny

beauty and the beast disney movie

I used to be able to determine which movies my kids watched, and I would just try to avoid those that I wasn’t sure were appropriate. Though without watching the movie, it can be hard to tell what’s going to pop up. Even movies “made for kids” seem to contain plenty of crudity and messages that parents would not want to be pushed onto their family.

hunger games the movieBut as my kids have gotten older, they have taken over which movies they want to see. And when they say, “Hey Mom, can I go see (insert the latest must see movie here)?” I don’t feel like I can tell them “No” just on the basis of a suggestion of an attitude I don’t like in a trailer I may or may not have seen.

Sometimes I’ll screen a DVD before my kids watch it, but I can’t, nor would I want to, preview everything they are interested in. Besides, my teens often want to see a movie that is barely in theaters. So I’ve been using other resources.plugged in website for moral reviews of media great for parents

My favorite website for a moral review of a movie is Plugged In. It’s from Focus on the Family and has reviews not only on movies but music, TV shows and video games as well. It picks out everything you might want to know so that you can make your own decision about what you are exposed to. It even breaks it down into the content categories of positive, spiritual, sexual, violent, crude or profane language, and drugs and alcohol so you can easily see what you might find objectionable or of worth. I consider myself pretty picky about what we watch, but often I’ve read a movie review and realize that I haven’t caught some significant negative aspects.

common sense media website for moral media reviews resource for parents

Another great site is Common Sense Media.org. It has a section on each movie titled “What parents need to know” and “What families can talk about” as well as what age they think the movie is appropriate for. They also review books and other media.

Another site that reviews movies from a moral perspective is ChristianCinema.com, and there are more sites out there. Is there one you particularly like? Tell us which one and why.

Now when my teens ask to see a certain movie, I look up the review. And because they are learning to make their own decisions, I have them read the review, we discuss it a little, and I let them decide whether or not they want to see it. It also informs me about what they are seeing, and I can ask them what they thought about some of the aspects I learned about from the review. Questions like, “What did you think about their treatment of women?” or “What purpose did the violence have? Do you think it was partly catering to those who just like violence?” “Do you think the review was fair or accurate?” Questions I need practice asking myself also, because kids aren’t the only ones to need to be careful what they watch.

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Fun Dry Erase Worksheets

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Cheri

Have you noticed that Five Real Moms seems to be on vacation? Well, in truth, most of us either have been or are getting ready be on vacation. Sorry for our lack of posting. We’re glad we’re missed!

We just returned from a road trip and are home for a week before heading off on another. With four little girls to keep happy in a car for a total of 45 hours in just a month, I came up with a few ideas that actually worked.

This idea is so simple and started as an idea for just placemats they could use at the table while waiting for dinner. But then, when I needed something for the car, I just punched holes in the side and slipped them into a binder, so I could whip them out and pass them around.

I went to this website and made a few handwriting sheets, printed and laminated them. I grabbed our dry erase markers and some tissues, and we were good to go. The girls loved working on them in the car. The possibilities here are endless. I also made math work sheets for my oldest daughter. You could do connect the dots, color by number, really anything you can think of!

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Diaper Envelope
DIY replacement for the diaper bag

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Sunny

Sure, sometimes you need a hefty diaper bag, but sometimes you just want a diaper and wipes. And sometimes, you wish your diaper and wipes didn’t look so much like, well, a diaper and wipes. Or that your diaper, loose in your bag of other things, didn’t get so beat up and mix in. Anyway, after my fifth baby got past the infant stage and we didn’t need to carry a change of clothes around too, I finally whipped up a diaper and wipe holder. I was motivated by the idea of being able to stick it in my bag I take to church and being able to pull it out, tuck it under my arm, and discretely carry it to the bathroom or send it with my husband. All in a neat little packet. It just took a few minutes–why didn’t I do this years before? It’s been great.

Diaper Envelope for one diaper and some wipes

I just chose some material I had on hand already. It doesn’t take much.

Diaper case envelope open showing diaper and wipes

Use a diaper and a packet of wipes to judge how big to make your envelope. (For wipes, I like using samples, or failing that I put some in a quart size freezer bag, or one of those hard cases–whatever you use when you don’t use the whole package.) My original piece of material was about 15 1/2″ long and a skimpy 9″ wide.

how to make your own diaper envelope, open and empty

I pressed and sewed the two shorter sides. Then I folded one side over about 4 1/4″ and sewed along 1/4″ from the edge all the way along the sides. I kept the seams on the outside of the envelope so the diaper and wipes don’t compete with the edges for space inside. This worked well with the denim material I had.

diaper envelop button, button hole, and edges

I decided to fasten it with two buttons that I already had. You may have another idea. The button holes were the hardest part of the whole project, in my opinion. Except maybe getting started in the first place. If I had the time, I’d make and sell these. I suppose somebody does, but really, you can make your own for free in just a few minutes. And if you’re not the crafty type but wish you were, this is a great beginner’s project.

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Super Yummy and Simple Granola Bars

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Janae

Here’s a great recipe for a super simple, yummy, better-than-the-alternative, summer treat.

No-Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
yield: 10 bars

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats {not rolled oats!}
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips (I tried some other yummy mix ins like craisins, almonds, coconut, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc…get creative and see what tastes good)

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter, honey and brown sugar together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients.

Pour into lightly greased small jelly roll pan {about 12x8x1} and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. {If your pan isn’t small enough, pack the mixture into one side. You really want to press them down so they stick together.}

Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly. Cool on a countertop to room temperature for two hours or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Recipe Notes: If your granola bars don’t seem to be staying together when you cut them, you may have made them too thin or you didn’t pack them in tight enough. Stick them in the fridge for 20 minutes and that should help keep them together. {Be sure not to keep them in there too long or else they’ll become super hard!} The next time you make them, try reducing the butter to 3 tablespoons and really packing them down.

*adapted from Rachael Ray and passed on to me by a friend who found it on www.laurenslatest.com. Thanks to all who helped it get to me so I could pass it to you.

I loved this recipe, but wanted some more fruity and nutty bars. So, I got creative and started adding other mix-ins. Here’s what I found: For any mix ins that don’t melt (craisins, nuts, coconut, etc.), add the mix in to the dry ingredients before pouring the sugar/butter mixture over it. For all mix-ins that will melt, wait until after you’ve pressed the bars and then press them into the top of the bars. Of course, if you’d like the chocolate spread throughout the bar, go ahead and add them ahead of time.

My kids absolutely love these bars! And I love how simple and preservative-free they are!

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