Chip Dip Recipe

Let's talk quick, easy recipes for college dorms, parent school council meetings or any social events in general. I learned this from a friend of mine who use to make this for celebrations. I loved it so much I adopted it and it is something you will usually see at our dinner parties, celebrations and family gatherings.

Bean dip ~ What you will need:

Velveeta Cheese

Hormel "Hot" beans (you can get the plain non spicy beans)

Tostitos chips (we get the scoop kind for this)

Microwavable bowl

How to make:

Spray a microwavable bowl

Place 1/2 (small package) of Velveeta cheese into a microwavable bowl.

 I cut this into cubes so the melt evenly.

Open and pour the beans into the bowl and place into the microwave.

5-6 minutes until cheese is almost melted, stir and then replace for another 1-2 minutes.

That's it!! Take bowl out carefully since it will be HOT and serve with the chips!

Do kids play with their toys?

Yesterday, little man and I did something we haven't done in a while because last week it had been so nice outside. We played in his room. He has so MANY toys that we really try and get him to play with each one. How do you ask? Well, I am glad you asked because I think it is a VERY fool proof and quite a nifty trick if I do say so myself. Number one: After 2-3 weeks take all and I mean ALL of his toys out and put them into the center of a room (usually the living room since it is so large & his bedroom). 

We sort them into three piles. "Toss" (usually broken or toys with missing parts) pile, "keep" pile and "sell" pile. Once sorted we take all the toys that were down stairs and move them upstairs into his room and take the toys that were in his room down into the downstairs. Why? This creates a new visual appeal to these toys. They are taken out and moved around, letting him see one's he may have forgotten. I also want to suggest sorting the toys when they(your kids) are not around to eliminate any break downs. After doing this once you will see a huge difference. Less toys overall (because you are sorting them every few weeks) more space and your children will actually play with all of their toys instead of only a few. Why pay money for toys they barely use? 

He just loves all of his toys. I am sure I will have to critique this shifting and sorting as he grows older. I also hope he doesn't destroy his toys but I know that day will come. As children you just cannot understand how many hours you have to work to pay for those toys they throw around. 

He also wanted me to show everyone his "cool" hoodie! He loves this hoodie and boy does he loves showing it off to people. 

Does your child have a favorite piece of clothing? 

Do they have a favorite toy? 

Do they play with all of their toys??

Tips to help take your Child Fishing

We took our little one fishing for the first time and I thought I would share some tips to help you have a smooth trip. My first tip would be VERY important to consider, when planning a trip out fishing. Weather conditions! Check the weather forecast before you go just to eliminate any sudden surprises. For instance we hit high winds as soon as we got all of our equipment out of the car. So  plan  ahead!

Of course you need to purchase the fishing equipment before you plan a trip.

You will need:

*Tackle box ( you don't have to buy a special one I picked one up at an auction for $1)

*Fishing pole (Wal-Mart has them on sale)

*Lures, hooks & bobbers (you can score these with your fishing pole)

*Bait ( worms live outside and they are FREE)

*Fishing Net or Needle nose players

*Fishing license. You can get these at Walmart

When fishing with your little one try explaining what you are doing, as you are doing it, to help include them. He was not ready to bait his own hook but that's ok. We used worms for this trip! We bought them at Walmart ($3.25) because we just didn't want to go and dig some up, yes lazy butts we are! Remember to bring a towel or wet wipes, fishing can get messy.  

So the last few tips don't really seem so important and may be common sense but are VERY important. Fishing is a waiting game! So bring snacks, drinks and a plan B if the fish decide they are not hungry. Most important have fun! So you may not catch anything or you hook a tree, sea weed and then some, so what? Stuff like this will help build memories and fun past times.

EASY DIY Mother's Day Gift

 

Making a "Mother's Day" Canvas or Mom gift for little to know money or effort.

What you will need to complete this gift:

Canvas ( you can pick these up anywhere even thrift stores

because you will paint over it!)

Sample Paint ( mine is from Home Depot .50 cents

Scissors

Paint brush

Setting spray or you can use Hair spray

You children's or grand children's drawings and art work pieces

Stick of glue~not pictured they have them at the dollar tree! 

Paint he canvas~ I used a light blue color over mine.

Let sit and dry for a good 10-15 minutes. 

Cut the children's scribbles into flower petals or a design and arrange how you want it to look. Then glue each piece down and make sure they are secure. I would recommend not using the white liquid glue to prevent dots and uneven surfaces. I just used a glue stick and plastered the back of the paper petals and it seemed to work just fine. 

I wrote "Family" on this one but you can write the date, "Happy Mother's Day" etc. Use a sharpie or marker to writing anything BEFORE sealing. They spray with a sealer or a aerosol hair spray will work as well! Let dry and you have  great artwork that is easy, thoughtful and sentimental! Over all this gift can be less then $5 if you are resourceful! We gave them this year to the grandparents for Christmas and I really loved how the turned out so I made one for myself!