Lydia - heading fast towards 3

My sweet Lydia has passed the 2 1/2 year mark and is closer to 3yo than 2yo. I've mentioned her spunky personality in the past, and she continues to be spunky and full of personality.

She is completely toilet trained and has been for a while now.  The boys toilet trained around the same time, but it took them a few years to get the night-time control down.  She mastered both day and night around the same time.  She has never had any fear of public restrooms (both boys, and many other children I knew were afraid of self-flushing toilets.  Lydia? Thinks they are funny, and is only slightly annoyed that she can't flush them herself.  Well, until she figured out the trick, and so we usually flush those a few times . . . )

She has a huge vocabulary, and speaks as well as children a year or more older than her. And, she speaks ALL THE TIME. She likes to talk, and she likes to carry on conversations with anybody who will converse with her. She is very friendly when we're out, and will engage strangers in friendly banter. (Again, unlike my boys . . . )

She has a vivid imagination and has an imaginary baby.  When asked, she will tell you the baby is named "Two." She will help the baby up the steps, make sure you wait while the baby catches up, and makes sure the baby is strapped in the car.  Last night, while my sister was watching her, she had a long conversation on my sister's phone with the Baby's Daddy during which he had to get a flu shot and a Band-aid.

Speaking of phones, she loves my iPhone. I've downloaded a number of toddler games and she will entertain herself in line and out shopping with the games.  She knows how to operate the phone, what icons to choose to find the videos, and picks which games she prefers. I like my iPhone, but I think she uses it more than I do.

She loves "her boys" and wants them around her as often as they drive her crazy and she orders them to leave her alone.  She's bossy and opinionated and holds her own in sword and gun battles with her brothers.  We often call her our "warrior princess."

She is wonderfully helpful and will assist at any chore. She's the first one to help empty the dryer, or put away the silverware, or carry bags in from the car. She's cheerful about helping and rarely gives up -- unless the bag is too heavy. 

She's also fiercely independent, which can be scary when we're out. She hasn't had a need for strollers since she learned to walk, and has to be cajoled into shopping carts. She is good about holding hands -- sometimes. She will walk off without a backward glance and just assume we'll be there when she's ready to acknowledge our presence again, which means we need to keep an extra-vigilant eye on her at all times.

It's a joy to watch her grow, and she seems to be such a perfect fit in our family after our rough and tumble boys.  Next year, she'll be able to say Christmas clearly, but this year I'm enjoying her exclamations of excitement for everything that is "Missmiss!"

My New Favorite Chili Recipe

Bo made a new chili recipe last weekend, and it has become my new favorite chili.  You can make it in a slow cooker, or in a big pot on the stove.  If you want to taste yumminess, here's the recipe!


Olive oil
2 lb flat iron steak, cubed (or any meat you can chunk. I'll confess I don't know what cut of beef was frozen in the freezer - but it chunked nice and tasted great)
1/4 cup tequila or water
6 cups diced tomatoes
2 green bell peppers, seeded & diced
1 white onion, diced
3 T Fajita seasoning (either make your own or use store-bought) 
2 T minced garlic
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 can tomato paste (the tiny cans)
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn (or 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh)
2 T lime juice

Heat 1T oil in soup pot or dutch oven over med-high heat. Brown half the meat and transfer to slow cooker. Brown remaining meat in additional 1T oil and transfer to slow cooker. Deglaze pot with tequila, scraping all the bits into the liquid and then pour in slow cooker.

Add tomatoes, peppers, onion, and Fajita seasoning. Stir in beef broth and tomato paste. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

Stir in beans, corn, and lime juice. Cook another 20 - 30 minutes.

We top with shredded cheese and serve with cornbread.  Delicious!

Christmas Gifts

We've been talking to the boys about their favorite parts of the holiday season, and while presents definitely rank in the top 3 . . . so does spending time together as a family.  Independent from each other, both boys have expressed how much they like putting up outdoor lights with their Dad, having video game tournaments, and just spending time with each other.

I admit I was a bit surprised, since I feel like we already spend a lot of time together.  It's one of the reasons we decided to homeschool, and something that we truly enjoy. I realize it maybe gets lost in the day to day drudgery that is life sometimes, and that we need to focus on spending time together that has more meaning, or just more fun.

Every year, we keep one gift to present at dinner. It's a tradition my mom started years ago when she found gifts in a closet right before dinner that she had forgotten about. This year, I already have the dinner gifts purchased for my family (which I can't list here because Bo reads and then he'll know!), but I've decided to add something else for the boys.

I'm working on making coupon books for each boy that will include things like "Lunch out with Mom," and "Saturday errands with Dad," and "Geocaching as a family," and "Mom will make your bed today!"  I want to choose things that are a bit special, don't cost much, and are enjoyable.

On one hand, I think it's a bit hokey, but on the other hand I think they'll really appreciate them.  I'll let you know what they thought in January!

Review: Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta

Ronzoni and Mom Central sent me a box of their new Smart Taste spaghetti to try. We eat spaghetti at least once a week in our house, and it is one of those meals that I know everyone will eagerly eat and enjoy!  (Well, as long as I don't put tomato sauce on Colin's -- he likes butter and cheese.)

So, I was happy to try out this new style that has 3x the fiber and calcium equal to an 8 oz glass of milk.  More nutrients can't be bad, right?  Well, they could be bad if they didn't taste as good as the traditional version.

Based on the empty bowls last night, I think it's safe to say that it tastes just fine!  None of us noticed any difference in taste (and I didn't tell them it was different until AFTER dinner.)  Nate felt it was a bit tough, but I think that's because we usually eat angel hair pasta, and this was the thicker spaghetti noodles.

If the price is comparable, and they come out with an angel hair version, we'll definitely add this to our pantry in the future!  Visit the Ronzoni website for more information about their products and nutrition facts.

Ronzoni knows how tough it can be to feed kids healthy, nutritious meals that they eat and made this funny video to commiserate with moms.  Lydia especially appreciates the robot that shows up near the end.




Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Ronzoni Pasta and received a sample of Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate.

Review: Crayola Color Me A Song

As mentioned in my recent giveaway post for the Crayola Glow Dome, we also received a Crayola Beginnings Color Me A Song to play with and review.

Not one to let her brothers hog the limelight -- here's Lydia's video review.  (She handed me the video camera and said "Mom - I do review, too!"



These must be a popular Christmas gift, as Amazon has them listed for $49.95 at the time I'm posting this.  They should cost $20 - 25 (just so you know!)

Review: PictureIt Postage

I was contacted by PictureIt Postage recently wondering if I would like to try out their product. I had never heard of them before, but I found out they offered personal photographs turned into regular USPS postage. I loved the idea, and took them up on their offer to let me try it out!

You can see one of the sheets of stamps to the left. I chose a picture of my three kids that was taken at the same time as our Christmas card photo (but wasn't the photo I chose for our cards.)  I think they look great on our envelopes and really love the extra personalization they offer.

The process was very simple!  It took me longer to choose the photograph than it did to complete my order. You choose a picture, upload it to the PictureIt Postage website, choose your stamp denomination and how many sheets you'd like.  (You can choose post card, letter, and many other rates.) Then, you fill in your shipping and billing information and you're done!

Until December 31, 2009, they are offering a discount code for any order. Use the code SALE and receive the following discounts:

• $4 off 1 pack (20 stamps)
• $8 off 2 packs (40 stamps)
• $10 off 3 packs (60 stamps)

My stamps arrived only 2 days after I ordered them, which I thought was very fast!  They look great and I am very pleased with the service.

For twenty 44 cent stamps, the cost was $18.95 plus shipping.  It is a bit pricey, but for special occasions, I think they are unique and different.  I think they would be great for weddings, baby announcements, thank you notes and holiday cards.  They'd also be a fun marketing device for companies to put their products on their postage.

I was very happy with how easy it was to use the website, and how quickly the stamps arrived!  Thanks, PictureIt Postage! Now it's up to me to address the envelopes!

Disclosure:  I received a promotional code which allowed me to order a set of personalized stamps for my own use at no charge, in order to facilitate my honest review. No additional compensation was provided.

Review: Stories from History, Set of 11 Graphical Novels

We had the opportunity to review a set of 11 historical graphic novels from Timberdoodle over the last couple weeks.  When I opened the box, both boys (ages 7 & 9) were eager to check them out. Colin (9yo) immediately sat down with "The Discovery of T. Rex" and devoured the book.  Nate (7yo) has been interested in Leonardo DaVinci for a long time, so that was the first one he grabbed.

These graphic novels are well-drawn and full of interesting information. My boys enjoy graphic novels, but I often struggle finding ones that are appropriate. I like that these can be incorporated into our lessons, as well as provide them with reading material that interests them.  Nate prefers reading non-fiction, so these are even more up his alley!

Colin has been learning about early colonial times, so the book about Christopher Columbus dovetailed nicely into our lessons.  While these books sit on our homeschooling shelves, I know they will be pulled down and read outside of lessons as well.

The books are geared for 8 - 14 year olds (3rd - 8th grade), and Colin found that he had no trouble reading them.  Nate needed some help with some of the words, but they weren't overly difficult for him to read either.

Each book is 48 pages long, and I liked the fact that each book included a timeline, extra facts, glossary and an index.  The glossary is a wonderful supplement for both spelling and vocabulary units. These are great addition to our other learning materials.  The set of 11 we reviewed is available for the amazing price of only $16.95 -- making each book cost only $1.54! 

This set includes the following 11 titles:
Pizarro and the Incas
The Life of Anne Frank
The Building of the Great Pyramid
The Life of Julius Caesar
The Life of Christopher Columbus
The Race to the South Pole
Gladiators and the Story of the Colosseum
The Life of Alexander the Great
Elizabeth I and the Spanish Armada
The Life of Leonardo Da Vinci
The Discovery of T. Rex

Timberdoodle offers a wide variety of graphic novels, which cover a ton of different subjects. The individual prices are comparable to any book / graphic novel, with the added bonus of being educational. 

Timberdoodle is one of the first homeschooling companies I purchased products from years ago when we started our homeschooling journey.  I have always appreciated the wide variety of products, good prices and great customer service.


Disclosure:  This post is part of a blog tour arranged by Mama Buzz.  I received the set of graphical novels from Timberdoodle to facilitate my honest and complete review.

Money Saving Monday #35 - Know Your Prices

My sister and I always head out to shop the day after Thanksgiving, but we don't get up early. I check the ads, and we head out when we are ready -- usually around 10 or 11 AM. While I didn't get the $3 pajamas this year, we did find a few good deals that were still available. At that time of day, we usually don't have to wait in line either!

One store we visited had a long line for checkout after noon, which surprised me.  I was especially surprised when I noticed that many of their 50% off sales took the prices of items all the way down to more than the regular price at most other stores.  Which means those people snapping up tiny Disney princesses were thinking they were getting a deal - when the regular price was $1 less at another local store.

It's important to know prices if you want to ensure getting the best deal. Stores can offer the exact same product at a wide range of prices. Just yesterday, Colin chose a new ornament for our tree that was marked at $7.97.  A second store we visited had the exact same ornament for $19.99.

I've kept a grocery price list in the past (and keep meaning to create a new one), which helped me find the best deals on groceries and get an idea of sales cycles.  In the same spirit, I rarely buy something the first time I see it so I can check prices.  I check prices at a few different stores, as well as online, to try and find the best price.

If you have a smart phone, you can check prices using your phone.  The google phones allow you to scan an ISBN and it will show you prices at local stores, as well as online. With my iPhone, I usually check Amazon for pricing if it's something I haven't seen before.

Keeping lists and tracking prices is an excellent way to make sure you get the most for your money!

Football 2009

Here's a video of part of the boys' game from last week. They have had a great time this season, and have worked with awesome coaches. We are fortunate that we have many options for sports leagues (that aren't crazy money) with great volunteer coaches. This is the 2nd year the boys have played flag football, and I know we'll be back next year.

In the video, you'll see Nate take the flag off a member of the opposing team, and do a little hop of excitement when he goes near the coach (after handing back the flag to his opponent.) Then, you'll see the kids line up -- Colin has the long sleeved orange top on under his team shirt.

Review: New Crayola Products (And A Giveaway!)

**Giveaway is closed** Winner (drawn with the help of random.org) was Stephanie -- comment 13. Thanks for entering, and watch for more giveaways in the future!

While my favorite Crayola product is still the Crayola box of 64 crayons, I have to admit that they have some neat new products available.  My kids were recently given the opportunity to test out some of the new products and had a blast with the 3 we were sent thanks to Crayola and My Blog Spark!

The first thing we opened was the Crayola Beginnings Color Me A Song.  This is an art board, that comes with 8 triangular crayons that store neatly in a drawer on the side.  Kids place a piece of paper on the board, push a few buttons that look like musical instruments, and color.  The faster they color, the faster the music plays.  When they slow down, the tempo slows along with them.  Lydia (32 months) had a blast playing with it and quickly caught on to the different tempos.  She liked pushing the buttons and hearing the different instruments play music almost as much as she enjoyed coloring to the music. 

Next, Colin decided to try out the Crayola Glow Station.  I confess I wasn't really sure what this was, and was a bit skeptical.  You need a really small screwdriver to remove the screws to add the battery to the light pen and I was a bit frustrated when we couldn't find one small enough.  Thankfully, Bo came home and found a tiny screwdriver and Colin was set.  There is a large drawing page, which glows when the special light pen is passed over the page.  This is actually very cool.  You can hang the page on the wall, or kids can play with it on a table or the floor. The Crayola Glow Station came with stencils, so they can draw different shapes, as well as different shading samples (like animal fur.) After a few minutes, the picture fades and they can draw again.  All the kids (ages 2, 7 & 9) had fun playing with the light in a semi-dark room.   After 30 minutes, my skepticism was gone and I decided this was a pretty cool toy!  My only concern was where to store the stencils and templates (they're in a bag right now, that hangs on a hook in our laundry / craft supply room.)

Finally, Nate tried out the Crayola Color Explosion Glow Dome. Again, this took a bit of time for set up, but Nate persevered. Kids color on a clear piece of plastic that sits in the middle of the dome, as well as the dome itself. Special markers are included with the Crayola Color Explosion Glow Dome. 2 templates are included that kids can place under the clear plastic to draw on, or kids can draw their own designs. Once the designs are drawn, lights go out and buttons are pushed!  The black light in the dome makes the colors glow and the dome rotates to make the pictures appear animated.  It was neat, and both boys had fun drawing designs.

Nate did a video review to show you all the details!



Now that you've gotten through all that, I can tell you that I have a Crayola Color Explosion Glow Dome to give away to one of my readers!! This would make a fun gift for any child between the ages of 5 and 10. 


To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below telling me your favorite Crayola product!  Be sure to leave your email address if it's not connected to your profile so I can contact you if you're the winner!


Winner will be drawn first thing Monday morning, December 7, 2009!  I always use random.org to choose the winning comment.  Good Luck!

Disclosure:  I received the Crayola products listed above from Crayola and My Blog Spark to facilitate my honest and complete review.  They also provided the product to give away. No additional compensation was provided.