Christmas Tags

Sarah over at Thrifty Decor Chick posted her clever idea on how to make Christmas tags for next year out of this year's Christmas cards and boxes. She uses a rectangle-shaped punch (from a scrapbooking store) and punches out images, words, quotes and such from cards and decorative boxes and uses those for next year's gift tags. What a clever idea! See her post in its entirety by going to Cheap Gift Tags (FREE!).

** New Pricing for Chore Charts **

Okay, so after doing a set of Chore Charts and Kid Bucks for a "customer" I realize my pricing was a little skewed... I thought it would take me much longer to do these. So, check out my post on Pricing for Personalized Chore Charts and Kid Bucks to see my new prices.

Just a thought to pass along, but the New Year would be a GREAT time to start a new set of Chore Charts! :)

Save the Play Food!

Inexpensive play food sets (for play kitchens) come with 100+ pieces. Unfortunately, 1/4 of them are cheap cardboard boxes that typically last no more than a few days before the child tears, crushes, or otherwise mutilates them.

Take bits of newspaper and stuff those boxes till they're fairly rigid. Then take clear packing tape and seal them up all the way around. Seal the paper labels on the "cans" too by wrapping packing tape all the way around them.

Your child will get to make-believe to his/her heart's content!

Snow Ice Cream

I love this idea! I got the idea from the blog Feathering Our Nests. (The recipe is originally from about.com.) Sounds yummy! We're going to try it later today when we get some "fresh snow" -- like 8-12 inches of it just today!!

Ingredients:
1 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
CLEAN Snow

Preparation:
Go outside and get 4 - 5 cups of fresh, clean snow. Don't pack the snow! Mix together the milk, vanilla, and the sugar. Stir this mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Slowly add the snow to your mixture, stirring constantly, until it is as thick as ice cream! Eat up!

50 Health & Beauty Products You Can Make at Home

Check out 50 Heath and Beauty Products You Can Make at Home which includes:

• Spray Conditioner
• Clarifying Treatment
• Yogurt Facial Cleanser
• Astringent
• Salt Skin Smoother
• Hand Sanitizer
• Sweet Eye Makeup Remover
• Body Spray

One of My Favorite Things: Google Reader

Google Reader is a program that checks all the blogs that you tell it to and lets you know which have new posts. It will show you updates to anything with an RSS feed. If, for instance, a blog is private, it doesn't have a feed, so you have to check those manually. Otherwise, Google Reader is awesome!

You simply log in to Google Reader and you come to a page with a listing of your blogs, with highlights on the blogs with new posts. You can either read them in Google Reader, or go to the blog itself to read it. (Sometimes authors only allow a snippet of the blog post on readers, and you have to go to the actual blog to read the post in its entirety.)

Google offers a tour of Reader HERE. From the Google Reader tour:

Stay up to date
Google Reader constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content. Whether a site updates daily or monthly, you can be sure that you won't miss a thing.

Simplify your reading experience
Google Reader shows you all of your favorite sites in one convenient place. It's like a personalized inbox for the entire web.

Discover new content
Millions of sites publish feeds with their latest updates, and our integrated feed search makes it easy to find new content that interests you.

A basic explanation of a feed reader (like Google Reader) from Life Hack:

One of the core technologies behind the Web 2.0 “revolution” is RSS (Really Simple Syndication). Most websites that are updated with any sort of regularity have feeds of at least their headlines, and usually of full articles. Some sites also have secondary feeds listing their comments, videos, links, and other updates as well.

Because RSS is so common these days, keeping up with the rush of information that shapes our lives has become pretty easy (”really simple”, even). Instead of jumping from one site to another, you can keep track of all the content of the sites you visit regularly in one central place.

Why Google Reader?

While there are desktop applications that collect your syndicated content, reading RSS feeds is one task that justifies the buzz around “Web 2.0″. For reading news, keeping up with blogs, even tracking packages, little can compare with Google Reader — its easy to add feeds, easy to read them, and easy to organize them.

Google Reader offers several advantages over stand-alone desktop feed readers. First of all, it integrates tightly with both Firefox and IE7, making it simple to use. Second, you can access your feeds from any computer, and keep your reading in sync between them. Finally, you don’t have to worry about upgrades or performance issue — bug fixes and new features are added “behind the scenes” with no action on your part. And it’s free.

If you already use any of Google’s other services — Gmail, Docs and Spreadsheets, Google Groups, or whatever — you are already signed up for Google Reader; just log in with your existing account information. Otherwise, go to Google Reader and create a new account.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

One of My Favorite Things: Double-Sided Dish Cloths

I've always disliked sponges. I never feel like I can keep them clean. I have always used dish rags because they're so easy to toss in the washer when they get yucky.

A few months ago I found dish rags that are FABULOUS! They are regular dish rags, except one side is covered in a nylon mesh. These rags can scrub dried-on egg off the countertop, get splatters of spaghetti sauce off of the stovetop, and clean walls with ease.

I found mine at Wal-Mart, but I'm sure you can find them just about anywhere.

They are one of my favorite things!

Reusable Homemade Dryer Sheets

Need:

Flannel pieces
4 TBS liquid softener
10 TBS water

Instructions:

* Cut fabric sheets from old flannel pajamas or leftover flannel fabric from sewing and cut into 3x5" strips (approximately)

* Stack flannel strips in a cleaned margarine tub (large size) or plastic container (cleaned baby wipes container works well too). Mix the liquid softener and water together, then pour evenly over top of stacked flannel strips.

* Seal container and shake well. You can use several dozen strips with this mixture.

* Leave sealed for 2 or 3 days, then use one flannel strip per load. Squeeze out excess if necessary (it should be just damp). Keep container sealed at all times. Wash strips after use, then use again to make another batch when needed.

Holiday Gift-Giving

I have a love and talent for baking. This year, I decided to put that love/talent to work making gifts for teachers, bus drivers, neighbors, friends, and family. The cost? Almost nothing (within my budget, for sure!). I made loaves of banana bread with a gorgeous holiday ribbon for Matt's boss and my in-laws. I made little bags with stacks of cookies (oatmeal and snickerdoodles) and mini candy canes for neighbors, friends, and teachers. I got the bags and ribbon from my MIL, who was cleaning out her Christmas boxes and had more stuff than she wanted to keep. The only thing I bought was the mini candy canes (and the flour, sugar, etc).

I'd tell you what I'm giving my brothers-in-law (who I got in the gift exchange) and my brother, but there's just the slightest chance they'll read this and I don't want to spoil their gift. It's bigger and better than banana bread - trust me! But it still comes from my oven... I'll add it to the bottom of this post after Christmas. :)

Do you have a talent you could share with others as a gift this holiday season?

Oprah's Meaningful & Inexpensive Gift Ideas

I am not a huge Oprah fan, but today I watched her show because it was "How to Have the Thriftiest Holiday Ever!" I'm not one to pass up thrifty holiday ideas!

For the next 48 hours, you can download a CD worth of holiday songs from artists like Josh Groban (a personal fave of mine), Aretha Franklin, and Harry Connick Jr (another favorite) for FREE from the Oprah website HERE. From the same page you can download a CD cover for it! Cool, huh?

Also on her show she talked about an idea I simply LOVE. From her website: "Oprah has received many gifts over the years, but she says the gift that means the most to her is one that cost the least. 'A few years ago at my 50th Happy Birthday luncheon, my friends wrote me heartfelt notes that they then placed inside this silver box,' Oprah says. 'The words from your heart mean more to people than anything you can buy.' The tradition was carried on at Oprah's Legends Ball, when some of the younger women—like Alicia Keys, Debbie Allen and Halle Berry—wrote letters to Oprah. The letters were turned into a book, a keepsake that became the inspiration behind this thrifty idea: gratitude boxes." For more information on Gratitude Boxes and ideas on ways to use them, go to the Oprah website HERE. You can even download notecards with the sayings: "What I Love About You...", "Thank you for..." and "My Holiday Wish For You..." What a clever and thoughtful idea!!

And don't forget, you only have 48 hours to download your FREE HOLIDAY MUSIC CD!!

Stuffing Christmas Packages

Save all the scraps from your wrapping paper and put them through your shredder. Use this as cushioning/filler for packages you send out to loved ones through the mail. :)

Gifts for the Savior

We have started a new family tradition.

Christmas is severely commercialized. I don't know anyone who would argue to the contrary. We decided to try a new Christmas tradition to refocus our thoughts to the true meaning of Christmas this year -- and every year after.

For Family Home Evening tonight, we talked about things that the Savior would like to receive for Christmas. What would make Him happy? We came up with a list of things including being kind to others, keeping the Sabbath day holy, reading our scriptures & saying our prayers every day, sharing the gospel with others, and being worthy to attend the temple. Our list was actually most of a page after only a few minutes. Then I challenged each of us to choose one item from the list that they would like to give to the Savior this year for Christmas. We each chose one item that we could improve on, wrote it on a piece of paper, and signed it. We shared with each other what our goals were, then placed those papers in a decorative wood box. We tied a pretty gold ribbon around the box and placed it under our tree.

Next year, on the Monday before Christmas, we will untie that ribbon and review how we've done over the past year on the gifts we chose to give the Savior. We will then choose new gifts, and repeat the process.

Merry Christmas!!

p.s. We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For more information, please visit www.mormon.org.

One of My Favorite Things: Sinus Irrigation

Okay, so I hope I don't gross anyone out here, but I just HAVE to share my latest find with you.

First, a little background... I have suffered from hayfever and chronic sinus infections since I was a kid. My allergies bother me probably 7-9 months a year, and I seem to have at least 4 or 5 sinus infections a year. And the few months that I don't have allergies, I seem to get sinus infections from the colds I get in the winter. I am ALWAYS stuffy. Needless to say, I should probably buy stock in Sudafed and Kleenex.

Recently I was diagnosed with a sinus infection after suffering with a nasty cold for about two weeks. I took the antibiotics for ten days as prescribed, and felt better about 48 hours in. About 3-4 days after taking the last of the antibiotics, I either got another cold, or the sinus infection was back. Either way I was MISERABLE. I had read about sinus irrigation on a friend's blog and decided (since nothing else was working) to give it a try. I went out to my drugstore and purchased the NeilMed Sinus Rinse Nasal Wash starter kit. I followed the directions and within 48 hours I felt back to 100%. I went from being almost sure I had another sinus infection to feeling just fine! All without any drugs or antibiotics. I was convinced this was a miracle device, and I had to share it!

What it is (for those still reading...) is a little bottle with a cap that has a straw attached to a hole in the top. You fill the bottle with warm, distilled water and add a little packet of "pH balanced sodium chloride & sodium bicarbonate mixture" that comes with the kit. You gently shake it to mix it. Then you lean over your sink and put the hole in the cap against one nostril. You gently squeeze the bottle and the warm solution goes up one nostril and out the other. You use about half the bottle, then blow your nose gently and do the other side. You experience a split second of unpleasantness at the start, then it's not a big deal. It feels much like when you get water up your nose, but it only lasts for a second. It doesn't burn or hurt at all. It is WONDERFUL to get all the mucus, allergens, pollutants, bacteria, etc OUT of your nasal passages. And even Doctors applaud its usefulness.

The website says it helps with:
• Nasal Allergies & Dryness
• Sinusitis, Rhinitis
• Allergic Asthma
• Post Nasal Drip
• Sinus Pressure & Nasal Stuffiness
• Nasal Symptoms from Flu & Cold
• Nasal Irritation from Occupational Dust, Fumes, Animal Dander, Grass, Pollen, Smoke, & House Dust
• Nasal Congestion

No, this is not a paid endorsement. But I do "endorse" this product fully!

Lately I've been using my Nasal Wash every couple of days and I still love it. It helped me get through my last cold taking a LOT less medication. This one of my favorite things! Crazy, huh?

Have I grossed you out yet? :)

18 Uses for Petroleum Jelly

Yes, another link to more fabulous info on another blog! I've been sick lately with a super-nasty cold so sharing things is easier than writing my own stuff... You forgive me, right?

I subscribe to many blogs in my Google Reader and I LOVE it! If you aren't familiar with a Reader, you're missing out! (Maybe that's a post for another day.)

Anyway, one of the blogs I subscribe to is Life Hackery which is totally up my alley because the subtitle is: "Useful, Unusual, and (Sometimes) Ironic Tips and Tricks to Hack Your Life into Shape." I found their most recent post to be a great thing to link to here on Clever Homemaking, as it tells of 18 uses for that old staple, Petroleum Jelly. Among the list are a few you wouldn't expect:

• Shoe Shine Solution
• Nail Polish Canvas
• Prevention of Car Battery Corrosion

To read more, go to 18 of Petroleum Jelly's Wondrous Uses.

Which is your favorite or which surprised you the most?

Clicky Chic Photography by Rebecca

My dear friend Rebecca recently posted a link to my blog. The traffic on my blog increased dramatically! And so I return the favor and point you in her direction. :)

Rebecca is a fabulous photographer! She has a blog, Clicky Chic Portraits, and you can also view her work at her Shutterfly site as well. She does amazing work! So if you're in the Tacoma / Seattle / Kitsap areas, consider her for your photography needs!

Hair Spray Isn't Just For Your Hair!

I found a new blog that I simply LOVE. Check out Life Hackery's 18 Hair-Raising Uses for Hair Spray!

Among them...

• Preservative for Cut Flowers

• Means of Self-Defense

• Ink Remover

Check it out!!

Pricing for Personalized Chore Charts & Kid Bucks

I have had multiple inquiries about personalizing Chore Charts and Kid Bucks. You can read my post, Family Economic System: Chore Charts & Kid Bucks (11/10/08) for more info on them. Since I have had a few people ask, I thought it might be helpful to those interested if I posted my pricing structure.

PERSONALIZED, PRINTED, LAMINATED, & SHIPPED TO YOU!

Chore Charts

$10 for the first chart, $5 for additional charts in the same family/layout with two laminated, Velcro chore cards per chart

$10 for each AM/PM picture list; duplicates or nearly-the-same lists are $5 each

Kid Bucks

$2 per set of 8 green, double-sided bills covered in flexible, clear contact paper

Denominations available are $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100

My suggestion per-child is:

1 set of 1's, 2 sets of 5's, 2 sets of 10's, 2 sets of 20's, 1 set of 50's, and 1 set of 100's. (Total cost for Kid Bucks per child: $18. Additional full sets in the same family: $9)

Pouches to hold Kid Bucks are $1 each (availability not guaranteed)

**Purchaser pays shipping costs (around $2-4)

PERSONALIZED AND EMAILED IN PDF FORMAT

Chore Charts

$5 for the first chart, $2.50 for additional charts in the same family/layout with two chore cards per chart

$5 for each AM/PM picture list; nearly-the-same lists are $2.50 each

Kid Bucks

$2.50 for each denomination (available in $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100)

Thanks to all those who have left positive comments on my Chore Charts. It has been great to hear of families integrating something similar to our system and having great success with it! J Please email me at cleverhomemaking at gmail dot com if you have any questions, or leave me a comment on this post.

Hiding those Christmas Gifts...

Where do you hide your Christmas presents??

Under the bed?

In the trunk of your car?

We have a storage room where we have stuff stored, floor to ceiling. We hide all our Christmas gifts in empty suitcases on the top shelves of our storage room. The kids have NEVER (at least, to our knowledge) found them... We hide them in [nearly] plain sight! :)

So, where do YOU hide your Christmas gifts???

Email me at cleverhomemaking at gmail dot com and I'll post a list of your ideas... We can be super-sneaky and clever with the hiding of the gifts this year!

The Quickest, Easiest Chimichungas Recipe EVER!!

1 pkg flour tortillas
3 C. cooked, shredded chicken (or pork, or turkey, or beef)
1 C. (approx) shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 C. (approx) salsa

Heat chicken, cheese, and salsa in a frying pan till the cheese is mostly melted and it is heated through. Soften one tortilla at a time in the microwave for 8-10 seconds. Spoon a heaping spoonful of filling on each tortilla shell. Fold in edges. Place on cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, etc on top.

Kudos to my friend Debbie P. for sharing this recipe in our church cookbook a couple of years ago. It has become a staple in our house!!

p.s. Whenever I make a roast of something I shred the leftover meat and put it in a baggie in the freezer to use for chimi's later. Just pull it out of the freezer the night before to thaw. You can also buy shredded, canned meat and drain it before using it. Yum, yum!!

17 Tips To Make Your Life Easier, via StumbleUpon

I found this great post HERE. Go to Alex's blog to read it in full. (I listed a few below to peak your interest...) GREAT ideas -- a couple of which I have shared here already. :)

p.s. Found this post using StumbleUpon. Have you tried it yet?

17 Tips To Make Your Life Easier

by Alex Juel

I received this as an email and instead of saving the email, I decided to post it here so that I know I always have these great tips on my site. I plan on trying every single one of them too. I actually just tried the dryer tip (#17) at the bottom, so we’ll see how that one works out. Oh yeah, I probably won’t be trying the hair conditioner on my legs for shaving either since, well…I’m a guy. A lot of these tips are things that I can actually use on a regular basis too.

1. Reheat Pizza

Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove , set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

2. Easy Deviled Eggs

3. Expanding Frosting

When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

4. Reheating Refrigerated Bread

5. Newspaper Weeds Away

6. Picking Up Broken Glass

7. No More Mosquitoes

Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

8. Squirrel Away!

9. Flexible Vacuum

To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

10. Reducing Static Cling

Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and — ta da! — static is gone.

11. Unsticky Measuring Cups

12. Foggy Windshield?

Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

13. Reopening Envelopes

14. Smoother Legs With Conditioner

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It’s a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It’s also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn’t like when you tried it in your hair…

15. Goodbye Fruit Flies

16. Get Rid of Ants

Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it “home”, can’t digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains , but it works & you don’t have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

17. Info About Clothes Dryers

The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink, ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material - I’m sure you know what your dryer’s lint filter looks like.

WELL…the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn’t go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that’s what burns out the heating unit. You can’t SEE the film , but it’s there. It’s wha t is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free - that nice fragrance too, you know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box, well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen This is also what causes dryer units to catch fire & potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (& to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out & wash it with hot soapy water & an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long!

How about that!?! Learn something new every day! I certainly didn’t know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I’d share!

Note: I went to my dryer & tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water & a nylon brush & I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn’t any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!

Fancy-up the Sliced Cookies!

1. Purchase a roll/tube of sugar cookie dough in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
2. Unwrap the package.
3. Sprinkle a cutting board with colorful sprinkles or nuts.
3. Roll the tube of cookie dough in sprinkles or nuts.
4. Slice and bake as directed.
5. Fancy cookies!!

Thanksgiving Garland

I got the idea for this from The High-Heeled Mama when she was featured on Tip Junkie. I took the idea and made it my own, however. :)

The kids and I made it an afternoon project. We went out and tried to find a non-crunchy maple leaf -- not a simple task in late November! But we found one that was good-sized and brought it inside. Then we took yellow, orange, and red construction paper and a black crayon. We took the paper off the black crayon and did a crayon rubbing of the maple leaf on each sheet of construction paper and cut them out. We did a total of ten leaves, two for each person in our family. Then I used a Sharpie to write our names on them. I stapled them to a bit of ribbon and hung them on the wall. Easy!

Every morning and every evening until Thanksgiving we'll be writing something we're grateful for on our leaves. (As you can see in the picture, Spencer [age 2] is thankful for buses!) Next year I'm going to make our garland on November 1st and make 5 or more leaves for each person and do this for the whole month leading up to Thanksgiving!

Another idea is to tape the "leaves" on an outline of a tree & branches drawn on a piece of posterboard. That would be cute too! :)

Mormon Mommy Blogs

I just added a button on my sidebar to Mormon Mommy Blogs, an awesome list of blogs. I've requested that they add me to their listings... Go check 'em out!!

Link Love

List Mama featured me on her weekly Link Love list! Thank you, Jennifer, and welcome to List Mama readers. I hope you find something useful on my blog! :)

Don't forget to sign my guestbook (at the very bottom of the page), and/or "follow me" if you like what you see. Thanks for stopping by!!

Chores Ideas

List Mama has put together some great lists of chores divided into age-groups. Useful ideas when you're putting together your own chore charts. :)

List of Chores for a Tween
List of Chores for a GradeSchooler
List of Chores for a Preschooler
List of Chores for a Toddler

I also added List Mama's button to my side bar. For a person like me who is an OCD list-maker, this blog is right up my alley! Check her out!

Family Economic System: Chore Charts & Kid Bucks

My husband Matt and I have had enormous success in a rewards system we instituted close to two years ago. It has been so successful that I have shared it with friends and neighbors and family members and they have all loved it. Because it's gotten such rave reviews, I thought it was something I ought to share. I have to thank my clever hubby for this one, though. I can't take full credit. Kid Bucks were his original idea and have evolved over time with input from both of us and from our children.

We all know that children respond better to rewards than to punishment. Any parent with experience knows this. As parents, Matt and I tried to come up with a rewards system that would motivate and encourage our children. "Kid Bucks" were our answer for our family.

OUR SYSTEM, IN A NUTSHELL

Children do chores. Most are the same every week, while a few chores get rotated. At the end of the week, children are "paid" on a sliding scale based on how many chores they completed and marked off on their charts. They are paid in "Kid Bucks" equaling as much as $5 in "real" money each week. These Kid Bucks can be used to purchase treats or privileges, or traded in for cash to spend on something pre-determined and approved by Mom & Dad.

THE NITTY-GRITTY DETAILS

My children, like most children, have chores. I have organized these chores into charts that are laminated and we mark them with a dry erase marker. The rotating chores are on cards that are laminated and have a little Velcro dot on the back. These chore cards Velcro to the bottom of the kids' charts so they know what their job is that week. We switch them every Sunday. In addition, there are many things that are NOT on their chore charts that they are expected to do. For instance, my kids empty the dishwasher after it runs and take the dog out every morning. Not everything we ask them to do is on their charts. :)

CHORE CHARTS

AM LIST & PM LISTS are lists of basic start-of-the-day or end-of-the-day chores. I made these picture lists so the kids could tell what was on them before they learned to read. These lists are (again) laminated and posted by their bedroom doors.

And yes, they have to finish everything on these lists before marking that box on their chore chart(s). These lists are created so that when they have completed them, they are ready for the day OR ready for bed. These chores typically take less than 20 minutes (if kids stay on task, of course).

MORNING JOBS & EVENING JOBS are the jobs we rotate. Morning jobs may include wiping down bathroom counters, feeding the family pet, or packing lunches for school. Evening may include setting the table for dinner, rinsing the dinner dishes, clearing the table after dinner or sweeping the kitchen/dining room floors. Jobs can be paired up (two per child) or by themselves with enough job cards for each child in the family.

HOMEWORK & READING are fairly self-explanatory. They have to get straight to homework after school and get it done before doing anything else. (They usually snack while working on homework.) We also require that they each read (or be read to) every day, even in the summer.

ATTITUDE & BEHAVIOR is based on a "three strikes" system in our house. A "strike" is a reminder that a given behavior is unacceptable. If they don't get "three strikes" of not-so-nice behavior during the day, they get to mark their chart that they were well-behaved. "Three strikes" earns a ZERO for that day and counts against them at the end of the week. (I'll explain that in a minute…) A strike usually has consequences as well, such as a time-out or a lost privilege, depending on the infraction and the child.

BONUS STARS are earned for going above and beyond. For instance: being helpful without being asked, being especially patient with a sibling, etc. Mom and Dad are the only ones who can award bonus stars. Sometimes we've used bonus stars to re-motivate when kids haven't been good at getting all their chores marked. In that instance, we've awarded a bonus star just for having the entire day marked off and complete. Bonus stars are nice for the kids because they can take the place of anything else missed during the week OR count for extra Kid Bucks on payday (see "Payment" below). For example, on each child's chart there are 36 squares. If they miss 2 chores during the week but get 4 bonus stars, the first two make up for the missed ones, and those two extra bonus stars count for extra Kid Bucks at the end of the week.

PAYMENT is made at the end of the week, after their PM Lists are done. Kid Bucks are awarded on a sliding scale (below):

Completed	Allowance
1-10	10 kid bucks
11-20	25 kid bucks
21-32	35 kid bucks
33-36	50 kid bucks

Anything after 50 is worth one Kid Buck each. And in our house, if you don't mark it, it doesn't count. Aren't we harsh?? (We do usually remind them at the end of the day to make sure their chore charts are marked.)

KID BUCKS & KID BUCKS MENU

Kid Bucks are covered with clear contact paper and are printed on both sides on green paper. The different denominations have different pictures and have "[Family Name] Federal Reserve" at the top. Cute, huh? :)

The kids keep their Kid Bucks in soft-cover sunglass cases we found at the dollar store. They zip shut and are the perfect size for the Kid Bucks. We hang them in the kitchen on a key hook so they don't get lost. Any Kid Bucks found lying around become the property of the Family Bank (aka, Mom & Dad).

EARNING EXTRA

At different times we have offered the opportunity to earn extra Kid Bucks on top of what they earn with their chore charts each week. These Kid Bucks are earned by doing extra chores assigned by Mom or Dad and are offered with a set amount of Kid Bucks they can earn for doing the chore. Right now we're offering extra Kid Bucks that can be earned to exchange for cash to spend on Christmas gifts for siblings. For instance, our office is a cluttered mess so I offer 20 Kid Bucks to my 10 year old to get it tidy and clean, including dusting and vacuuming. The office is clean so I'm happy; she's earned some extra Kid Bucks so she's happy.

SPENDING KID BUCKS

Kid Bucks can be used to "purchase" privileges, treats, or exchanged for cash. If exchanged for cash, they are worth 10% of their face value. So, for instance, a child who earns $50 in Kid Bucks can exchange those Kid Bucks for $5 in cash. [We are LDS and pay tithing to our church. The children pay tithing only on what they exchange for cash and not on the exchangeable value of all of their Kid Bucks.] Our rule in our house is that the child must decide what they are spending their cash on before we do the exchange and that their intended purchase must be pre-approved by Mom or Dad, though we are fairly lenient. We chose to do this to avoid too much candy or junk in the house and to encourage our children to think about their purchases and what they want to spend their money on before they go to the store. (Hopefully this instills in them a resistance to impulse-buying.) Eventually we hope to include a portion of their earnings going toward cash savings, but so far they are only saving Kid Bucks for future purchases – which I guess is essentially the same idea in theory.

Privileges they can "purchase" with their Kid Bucks can be:

• Choosing dessert.
• Items from the "Treat Basket." (limit one per day)
  
• Getting an ice cream cone from McD's or the like.
• Telvision, computer, or game system playing time.
• Staying up 30 minutes late on a Friday or Saturday night.
• Renting a movie to watch at home.
• Going out for a Special Outing (i.e., Bowling, Movie Theater, etc.)
  

Children "pay" for TV and computer time. It helps them use their screen time more efficiently. They don't watch TV just for the sake of watching TV. They decide ahead of time what they want to watch. Many times my kids have asked to watch TV, couldn't find something they felt was worth their hard-earned Kid Bucks, and went to play instead. Yay!

I think the rest of the list is self-explanatory, with the exception of the Treat Basket. We have a "Treat Basket" filled with their favorite goodies on the top shelf of the pantry (snack-size candies, rice krispies treats, etc along with notes referring to treats in the fridge or freezer like popsicles or ice cream). They get to participate in deciding what goes in the treat basket. This is hopefully instilling in them the idea that "treats" are a privilege and not common-place. These treats are off-limits unless purchased with Kid Bucks.

CREATING YOUR OWN

The kids' chore charts and the Kid Bucks were created on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. The chore charts were printed on cardstock and laminated. The rotating chores were also printed on cardstock and laminated. I cut them out and used self-adhesive Velcro dots on the back of the cards and on the front of the kids' charts so they would be easy to rotate from chart to chart each week. I added self-adhesive strips of magnet to the back of the charts so they could hang on the inside of my metal front door or on the fridge. We use dry erase markers to mark the charts with, though I do recommend purchasing some dry-erase board cleaner to make erasing the charts easier. [Use the cleaner about once a month to help make the laminated surface slicker and easier to erase.] The Kid Bucks are printed on both sides of regular-weight green paper then covered on both sides with clear contact paper and cut out. Laminating them is also an option, but they are softer and easier for the kids to handle with the contact paper on them. These work best if you center the page both horizontally and vertically so they line up properly when you print them on both sides.

Remember, you can take my idea and make it your own. This is the system that works for US, but I realize it isn't for everyone. Every family who is making a valiant effort to teach their children to work is doing the right thing and teaching their children valuable skills and principles that will serve them well later in life.

PURCHASING YOUR OWN

In the past I've personalized Kid Bucks for others, putting their family name at the top. I can personalize chore charts as well, including rotating chores of your choice. I can save these in a PDF format (to preserve the formatting) and email them to you.

If you prefer, I can personalize, print, laminate, and mail you the whole set with the chores/names of your choice, including Kid Bucks.

Email me at cleverhomemaking[at]gmail[dot]com for current pricing, if you have any questions, or to request any items.

** As of 7/09, I've set up a shop on Etsy.com to sell personalized Chore Charts & Kid Bucks. See my post: "Chore Charts & Kid Bucks are on Etsy!!" for information about purchasing my system.

I participated in Tip Junkie's Talk to Me Tuesday 10/20/2009 when she asked, "If you had 1 blog post that you wanted all of your readers to know about – what one would it be?" This post is it, folks! :)

Melting Butter in the Microwave

If a recipe calls for melted butter or margarine, use your microwave to melt it. Use the defrost setting so it doesn't make a mess and splatter all over your microwave. It takes a stick of butter about 30-45 seconds on defrost to melt.

Vote!!

Still having a hard time deciding who to vote for? You're not alone...

The website OnTheIssues.org outlines where the different candidates stand on the major issues, including their voting record on those issues. It makes for some interesting reading - and just might give those of us still undecided a way to become convinced of one candidate over another. It even has sections for candidates running for office at the state level.

And (as if you could possibly forget), DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!

Silly Octopus Hotdogs

I learned how to make these from a friend of mine - and my kids adore them!

Cut the hotdog down the middle, stopping about an inch from the end. Then cut those two sections in half lengthwise as well. Put in boiling water for 3-5 minutes till the "legs" start to curl. Serve with ketchup or mustard for dipping.

Of course, this doesn't make a legitimate octopus because he's only got 4 legs, but cutting it into 8 legs is a bit tricky on a hotdog. :)

Popcorn - No Microwave Needed!

I had to share a video segment with you from SmallNotebook.org on how to pop popcorn on the stovetop. [No, I didn't know how to do that before. Did you?] Here are instructions on popping popcorn on the stovetop from eHow.com:

How to Pop Popcorn

Things You’ll Need:

• 4-quart Pan With Lid
• melted butter
• popcorn kernels
• salt
• vegetable oil

Step1

Coat the bottom of a 4-quart pan with a few tbsps. vegetable oil.

Step2

Add 1/2 cup popcorn kernels.

Step3

Cover pan.

Step4

Turn stovetop burner to medium or medium-high heat.

Step5

Let kernels cook, shaking occasionally to prevent burning.

Step6

When the popping slows to 3 to 5 seconds between pops, remove pan from burner.

Step7

Allow to cool a minute or two.

Step8

Pour popcorn into a bowl and add salt or melted butter to taste.

[Someone noted in the comments on this article that vegetable oil catches fire easily. That person recommended coconut oil - what was used it the SmallNotebook.org video - or canola or peanut oil.]

I haven't tried this yet, but it doesn't look too difficult. We bought a bunch of popcorn kernels at Costco a while back thinking they'd be good to have in food storage, but we had no idea how we'd prepare the popcorn (yeah, genius, isn't it?). Anyway, I'm gonna dig that bag out and give it a try!

Alternative Uses for Dryer Sheets

I am a member of the Yahoo Group Clever Homemakers. I get their group postings via email, and I really loved one of the posts I got today. It lists alternate uses for dryer sheets. I thought it was worth sharing, so enjoy!

* Repel mosquitoes.
Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.

* Eliminate static electricity from your television screen.
Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.

* Dissolve soap scum from shower doors.
Clean with a used sheet of Bounce.

* Freshen the air in your home.
Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang one in the closet.

* Prevent thread from tangling.
Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce to eliminate the static cling on the thread before sewing.

* Eliminate static cling from pantyhose.
Rub a damp, used sheet of Bounce over the hose.

* Prevent musty suitcases.
Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.

* Freshen the air in your car.
Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.

* Clean baked-on food from a cooking pan.
Put a sheet in the pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The antistatic agents apparently weaken the bond between the food and the pan while the fabric softening agents soften the baked-on food.

* Eliminate odors in wastebaskets.
Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.

* Collect cat hair.
Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.

* Eliminate static electricity from venetian blinds.
Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

* Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sandpapering.
A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

* Eliminate odors in dirty laundry.
Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

* Deodorize shoes or sneakers.
Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight so they'll smell great in the morning.

Double Duty Kitchen Tip: Personalized Pancakes

I'm a huge Rachael Ray Show fan. I just LOVE her "Double Duty" kitchen tips segment. The one she featured yesterday was AWESOME! Use one of those squeeze bottles you usually put ketchup and mustard in, but cut off most of the tip. Fill it with pancake batter, and use it to make all sorts of nifty-looking pancakes - even spell your kids' names! SO cute! (The most creative thing I've done with pancake batter till now was M. Mouse pancakes... Boring!) For the video segment she had on the show, click HERE. I think I'll go make some pancakes...

Decorative Strawberries -- Jell-O Cake

(I meant to post this months ago, when strawberries were at the beginning of their season -- not at the end. My apologies!)

I love to make jello cake -- recipe below -- in the summertime. It is cool and refreshing on a hot summer day. When I make a strawberry jello cake, I like to make the strawberries decorative....

Wash the strawberries. Take your knife and make cuts every couple of millimeters, starting at the end, and stopping about 1/8 inch from the stem (you just don't want to cut all the way through). Then fan out the cuts before setting the strawberry down. Viola!

Double Orange Refrigerator Cake*

*Substitute cake & Jell-O flavors/fruits as desired... other flavors that are equally as good include strawberry and raspberry. Yum!

Cake:

1 orange (or white) cake mix

1 sm pkg orange Jell-O (4 oz)

¾ C. boiling water

2/3 C. cold water

Topping:

1 sm can mandarin orange slices

1 8-oz tub thawed Cool Whip

1 sm pkg vanilla instant pudding (4 oz)

2/3 C. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9x13 baking pan by spraying with non-stick spray. Prepare cake as instructed on box, let cool about ½ hour. While cooling, dissolve Jell-O in ¾ cup boiling water, stir in 2/3 C. cold water, set aside until room temperature, stir. Poke holes into cake with a fork or straw. Slowly pour Jell-O over cake to allow liquid to penetrate holes; refrigerate. Combine topping ingredients until well blended, spread over cake. Decorate with more orange slices if desired.

"Green" Cleaning

This is probably not news-worthy information, but I thought I'd share something that I've recently started doing differently...

For as long as I've had a house to clean, I've used paper towels. This past week I had a pile of outgrown, worn-out clothes I'd been collecting. I cut them into rags and used them for cleaning instead of paper towels. I saved a few trees, and these rags just get tossed into the washer with everything else, clean and ready to use next time. I cut them with pinking shears so they won't fray at the edges. I got the idea because I clean an older lady's bathroom once a week for her, and she always provides me with similar rags for cleaning purposes. I think they actually work better since they don't leave a dusty aftermath on things like mirrors and glass. And I feel better not using disposable paper towels.

What other ideas do you have for a "green" household?

Good to the Very Last Drop!

Tubes are the WORST containers for not letting you get that last little bit out of them. I especially hate it when the item in the tube is fairly expensive and I want every last cent of product out of it before I toss it. A friend of mine shared the following trick with me... (It works best for lotions, creams, etc)

When you can't squeeze any more out of the tube, cut all the way through the middle so you have a top and a bottom of the tube. Use your finger to scrape the product off of the walls of the inside of the tube. Put the top over the bottom until you've gotten every last drop out of the darn thing. I once had a tube of facial cream last an extra WEEK by using this method. Yay!

Grand Opening!! My new business...

Matt and I have launched our new business: Dirty Duds Express Laundry Service, LLC. We are a pick up & delivery wash & fold laundry service. Check us out at our new website: www. dirtydudslaundry. com and pass the world along!

Visitors! Where in the World?

I have a Stat Counter on my blog, and every once in a while it's fun to have Stat Counter create a map with where my recent blog visitors are coming from. (The little "Visitors Map" on the side is nice, but this is more specific.) I was pleasantly surprised to see many visitors that (apparently) I don't know... For instance, I have recent visitors from:

Lewiston, Idaho
Hayward, Wisconsin
Somewhere in Kansas
San Juan, Texas
Kernersville, North Carolina
Louisville, Kentucky
London, New Hampshire
Mountain View, California
Spanaway, Washington

If you are from any of the above locations, I'd love to hear from you! How did you find my site?

I'm tickled pink to have visitors coming from all over the place! :)

Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things

I found the neatest website. It's from Readers Digest.

Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things
Clean messes. Repair problems. Save money and time. 2,317 uses for common household products — all over your house.

Here's a sampling:

• Extend vacuum cleaner reach
  
  Can't reach that cobweb on the ceiling with your regular vacuum cleaner attachment? Try using a long, empty wrapping paper tube to extend the reach. You can even crush the end of the paper tube to create a crevice tool. Use duct tape to make the connection airtight.
• Freeze a washcloth for a cold pack
  
  It's hard to predict when someone in your household will next suffer a burn, teething pain, or another bump or scrape. Be ready. Freeze a wet washcloth in a sandwich or freezer bag. Pull it out of the freezer the next time someone needs some cold care.
• Restore a sponge
  
  Hand sponges and mop sponges usually get grungy beyond use long before they are really worn out. To restore sponges to a pristine state, soak them overnight in a solution of about 1/4 cup salt per quart (liter) of water.

In a nutshell, my site is now obsolete. :)

Equivalent Measurements

I found the niftiest (is that a word?) magnet at the dollar store a couple of years ago. It lists equivalent measurements from a gallon down to a teaspoon. Yay! I use it constantly when I'm cooking (especially when doubling or tripling a recipe). Since it's proven to be super-useful in my house, I thought I'd share:

1 gallon	=	4 quarts	=	8 pints	=	16 cups
1/2 gallon	=	2 quarts	=	4 pints	=	8 cups
1/4 gallon	=	1 quart	=	2 pints	=	4 cups
1/8 gallon	=	1/2 quart	=	1 pint	=	2 cups
1/2 quart	=	1 pint	=	2 cups	=	16 fl oz
1/4 quart	=	1/2 pint	=	1 cup	=	8 fl oz
1 cup	=	8 fl oz	=	16 Tbsp	=	48 tsp
3/4 cup	=	6 fl oz	=	12 Tbsp	=	36 tsp
2/3 cup	=	5 1/3 fl oz	=	10 Tbsp	=	32 tsp
1/2 cup	=	4 fl oz	=	8 Tbsp	=	24 tsp
1/3 cup	=	2 2/3 fl oz	=	5 Tbsp	=	16 tsp
1/4 cup	=	2 fl oz	=	4 Tbsp	=	12 tsp
1/8 cup	=	1 fl oz	=	2 Tbsp	=	6 tsp
	=	1/2 fl oz	=	1 Tbsp	=	3 tsp