Biscuit Personal Pizzas

These are SOOOOOO yummy!!

Buy a package of the "jumbo" biscuits. Roll them out flat. Sprinkle cornmeal on your cookie sheet before putting the rolled-out biscuits on them. Top the flattened biscuit with a couple tablespoons of pizza sauce, a handful of mozzarella cheese, and your favorite pizza toppings.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is just starting to brown.

These are a new household favorite around here (and not just with the kiddos)!




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Blogging Safety

I read a post on Mormon Mommy Blogs by Heather about safety when blogging. This blog post by Heather says everything I've ever thought about safety while blogging. She earns a gold star from me today!!

My family blog is kept private and I've very picky about who I allow to see my blog. Even with those things said, I don't include many "identifying" tidbits on my family blog (such as address, etc) because I'm freaked out about internet safety.

I am going to copy and paste her blog post below because I feel it is really important -- but please check out her original post as well. I've linked to it HERE. Be careful, people!! All too often I see party invitations, announcements, etc with names, addresses, pictures on PUBLIC (as opposed to private) blogs. We live in a really scary world. Be careful!! As the title of Heather's blog post says it best, "Better Safe Than Sorry."

The blogging community is awesome. I’m sure all of you agree. We read about each other’s lives, we leave validation in the forms of comments and emails; we rally around crises together and support each other’s businesses. It’s a large sisterhood we’ve got going on here. It’s a wonderful one.

We feel safe with each other. We understand each other. But, even in this environment of love and friendship there is something I just don’t get. I just don’t get at all.

It’s like laying out a Welcome Mat for Trouble.

It’s like sending a Pedophile a personalized invitation.

It’s like waving a banner that says, “Here I am! Hurt me!”

What could I possibly be talking about? I’m talking about the information that I occasionally come across on public blogs that literally makes me wince. For example: Pictures of the front of the family home. Pictures of children standing outside their classrooms –which include their teacher’s name and room number, complete addresses and phone numbers, invitations which include date, time, and directions to a person’s house. Information, in short, that can lead a “stranger danger” right to your front door.

It’s a scary thing folks, it seriously is.

I saw a news report a while back where some reporters set up an experiment with some parent volunteers. The parent stood in a room watching a reporter *a.k.a. complete stranger to their child* talk their children into getting into a car with them. Parent after parent stood in shock as their child who “would never get into a car with a stranger” got into the car. Over and over again.

Think about it. You have no way of knowing who exactly is checking in on your blog. Chances are that the people who do read your blog know what you look like, know what children look like, know their names, know their interests… You get the idea.

A long time ago a friend of mine was in an abusive marriage. She was able to get her and her daughter away. She has since remarried and has some more adorable children. Well guess who recently showed up at her door one night, when her husband wasn’t home? Her ex-husband. How did he find her? Her neighbor’s blog.

It’s a true story.

I’d just like to remind all of you that what you share with us, you are also sharing with the rest of the world. Be careful about what you’re posting. It’ll help keep you and your family (and possibly your neighbor’s family too) safe.

That’s all. I am now stepping off my soapbox.



If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

Eggs-actly...

Ever get part way through a recipe and realize you're an egg or two short?? Don't toss it - substitute:

1 tsp baking powder
+ 1 1/2 T. water
+ 1 1/2 T oil

for *each egg. No one will ever know! :) Also a good substitute if you have an allergy to eggs or exclude them from your diet for whatever reason. The baking powder will give the baked item the "rising factor" and the oil the "sticking" factor that the eggs usually lend to the recipe. Happy egg-free baking!

*Experts recommend not replacing more than two eggs per recipe.



If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

Susan Powell's Missing Poster

She could have been my sister, your sister, your friend. In reality, she is the sister of a friend of mine, and it breaks my heart what her family is going through. Please share this missing poster wherever you can. Participate in the social media blitz to increase awareness of her missing case. Twitter #findsusan.



If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

My Favorite Things: Sally Hansen Hand Creme

Do you have cracked, split, dry skin on your hands during the winter? I do. Or DID. Before a nurse friend gave me this:


It's Sally Hansen's 18 Hour Protective Hand Creme. It has vitamins A, E and C along with grape seed oil and shea butter. The trickiest part of this is WHERE to find it. It is sometimes in with the hand lotions. But most often, I've found it near the Sally Hansen nail products.

If you put it on generously at night, you'll heal your hands and protect them from further drying, cracking, and splitting. I usually also put it on once each morning after I'm ready for the day. Bonus: the grape seed oil makes it smell good too!

You'll thank me later. Trust me. :)




If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

F-I-R-E-D!!! + Tub Caulking, Hand-Washables, and Frozen Soup

I'm SO fired...

Has it seriously been more than an entire MONTH since I posted...? Ugh. Life has taken a few turns in the past couple of months and I find myself transitioning from a full-time stay-at-home mom to a working-full-time mom. My husband has been unemployed for 4 months, so the first one of us to find a job took it! For now, this is how we're functioning. It has been a difficult transition, but I'm starting to feel like things are settling into a new routine and I'm not so completely overwhelmed and exhausted at the end of the day that I can't focus on anything else. So...

To make up for the lack of posting in recent days/weeks, I'll give you three teeny little tips that I've had on my list of things to post about...

1. When caulking your tub, fill it with water first. That way, it won't crack with your first bath.
2. Use a colander to rinse hand-washables. Drip dry in the colander for a bit, then lay flat to dry.

3. Take soup leftovers and put one serving each in a smaller freezer or sandwich ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing the bag really well. Lay the bags flat in the freezer. Once they're frozen, you can stand them vertically in a basket, labeled along the top. When you want to have soup with your sandwich for lunch (or take it to work to warm up), you can flip through your choices in the flat freezer bags. Fun, huh? Although I do suggest getting the soup out of the freezer the night before and putting it the fridge to defrost. Depending on your bag, I would NOT suggest heating your soup in the bag, open or closed. Defrost it and put it into a bowl first.

So... After all that... Do you forgive me, even a smidge, for being such a slacker of a blogger???

I hereby promise to post AT LEAST weekly from this point forward. :) I swear!!



If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

10 Germ Bustin' Tips

With the piggy-flu and all, this time of year is especially bothersome with all the germs floating around. Arm yourself and your family against the germs with the following tips:

1. Wash hands properly. Kids try to get away with just wetting their hands and calling it good. I often tell my kids, "If you don't use soap, you're just getting the germs wet!" Teach and practice proper hand-washing methods. Lather with soap for at least 15-20 seconds, scrubbing the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

2. Wash your hands frequently. Especially before you eat and first thing when you get home. Don't let the germs your hands have gathered from school, the grocery store, etc get any further into your home than your sink with hot, soapy water.

3. Use the disinfecting wipes at the grocery store to disinfect the handle of the grocery cart. Those handles have been known to carry germs from saliva, bacteria, and even fecal matter. Ick!! If your store doesn't supply them, suggest it to manager. In the meantime, carry a few in a plastic bag in your purse. Plus, ALWAYS put meat in the plastic bags from the meat department. It'll prevent adding more germs to the mix and possible cross-contamination if it leaks on your other groceries (ewww).

4. Disinfect that kitchen sponge. It's fairly common knowledge that the kitchen sponge is the place with the most germs in your home. To disinfect it you can run it through your dishwasher OR you can put it on a plate and microwave it for 2-3 minutes or until it is dry (but watch it so it doesn't ignite and never microwave a sponge with metal fibers!). Replace your sponge every 2 weeks, tops. Another option is to use a dishtowel instead, and replace it with a fresh one every morning. If you do that, be sure to wash them in hot water with a little bleach to disinfect them.

5. Teach kids to not put their mouths on the spigot of the drinking fountain -- only in the stream of water. The spigot is covered with germs and it's like sharing a drinking cup with the whole school (!). Better yet, send them with their own water bottle if the school will allow it. Label it with their name.

6. Use hand sanitizer frequently! Keep it away from small children and don't use it with kids who put their hands in their mouths -- it is alcohol based, after all. (Use a wet-wipe instead.) One place that has lots of germs is the playground. Don't forget to use it often while you're there. Don't bring those germs home!

7. Wash your hands after doing laundry. Wet laundry has E-coli all over it. Wash underwear and towels in hot water. Use bleach when you can. Knock those germs out of the park!

8. Disinfect door knobs and handles at least once a week, more often when someone at home is sick. Use a disinfecting wipe or spray.

9. Your kitchen sink harbors the most germs in your home. Clean it regularly, especially after preparing food and anytime it comes in contact with raw meat. For tips on how to clean your sink, click here.

10. Teach and practice proper methods when sneezing or coughing: do it in your elbow and NOT on your hands.

Have any other tips for eliminating germs in your home/family and staying healthy this flu season? Leave me a comment! :)




If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

GIVEAWAY WINNER!!

Yep, the first person sometimes does win!! Courtney, I'll be emailing you my order form so check your email!

Thank you to all who entered... I would still love to do chore charts for you even if you didn't win. :) I'll even offer a 15% discount to those who entered but didn't win. So nobody really looses! :)



If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

Halloween Loot Tote

What do you use to tote all that Halloween loot?

We purchase gift bags with handles. You can usually find ones that are either Halloween themed (like my cute pumpkin one, pictured) or ones that coordinate with your child's costume. For instance, if daughter-dearest is going to be a princess, you can get a gift bag that has princesses on it.

The bags are perfect because they are just the right size, they're easy to carry, the handles won't break, and they fold flat if you want to save them for next year!




p.s. There's less than a week till the Chore Charts & Kid Bucks Giveaway ends! Don't forget to enter!

If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.

GIVEAWAY!!

To commemorate my blog's 1-year anniversary this past summer (July) AND the 1-year anniversary of my Chore Charts & Kid Bucks system post (November), I am doing a...

GIVE-AWAY!!

I am offering 3 Chore Charts & Kid Bucks sets in PDF for FREE!! This is a $45 value!! [If you have more than 3 children, I'll give you 50% off additional kits in the same family.]

You will get 3 Chore Charts, 6 rotating Chore Cards (3 morning, 3 evening), 3 AM/PM Lists, one Kid Buck Menu, one Allowance Chart, and one page of each denomination of Kid Bucks -- all in PDF format -- along with simple instructions for you to print, laminate, and assemble them. Everything is personalized to your specifications!

If you'd prefer that I assemble them at my end, I'll give you the $15 per child I usually charge for PDF versions as a credit towards the assembled versions, which means you would get my Chore Charts & Kid Bucks system for $10 for each child (plus $10 total shipping) ~ that's still a great deal at 60% off the usual $25 per child price!

2 Ways/Chances To Enter:

1. Leave me a comment on this post and tell me which of my posts is your favorite. :)

2. Mention my give-away on your blog, linking to this post. Leave an additional comment on this post with a link to your blog (your blog must be public to do this) so I can verify it.

Please note: I will be verifying any entries using method #2. You may enter a total of two times, using each method only once, but be sure you leave two separate comments (one for each method of entry) on this post. LIMITED TO TWO ENTRIES PER PERSON.

The exception to the rules:
1) If you choose an option other than PDF format or need additional charts, I will only accept payments through PayPal. If you don't use PayPal, you cannot choose an option other than 3 sets of Chore Charts & Kid Bucks in PDF format.
2) If you win and choose to have me print, laminate, and ship your sets of Chore Charts and you live outside of the U.S., you need to be willing to pay the actual shipping costs to your location.

I will choose a winner by random selection on Sunday, November 1st. Entries will not be accepted/considered after midnight, Saturday October 31st.

Good luck!!

If you're reading this on a feed reader or on Facebook, check out the blog homepage at Cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com.