"Two-for" Friday

Ok, well Thursday is my Busy Day with multiple drop-offs until after 2 pm which is why there was no MOM 101 tip yesterday, even though I promised four in a row.  To make up for it, here are two MOM 101 tips AND a Friday Foto (another new series I am incorporating.  More on that later and separately.)

MOM 101 tip #1:  When you finish a carton of milk, fill the now-empty container with water (about 1/2 full).  Shake well and use that milk-water to water your plants/garden.  The milk residue is good for the plants.  My aunt does this and she can grow ANYTHING.  Forget about a green thumb - she has a green arm!
MOM 101 tip #2: When babies are sick with a cold and stuffy nose, a vaporizer in their room is good for them.  In addition put Vapor-rub on the soles of their feet.  I don't know why this works but it does!  Right before bed, and again in the morning, rub their little feet with the Vapor-rub cream/gel (whatever it is.)  As a side note I know some people don't like the smell of Vapor-rub but I do!  I think it's invigorating and really clears the sinuses in a good way :)

Mom 101 (make-up #1)

Most mornings my kids eat oatmeal for breakfast.  Whenever I cook breakfast they eat oatmeal.  It's easy and most importantly it's nutritious.  I have it down to a science - I can whip up a bowl in under three minutes.  I use the microwave because I like to cook the oatmeal with milk and I don't like the smell of boiling milk.  Here's the routine:
1.  Pour 3/4 c. of milk in the bowl.
2.  Add 1/2 c. of oats (I use Quaker non-quick cooking oats)
3.  Cook for 1 minute, stir, cook for 1 more minute.
4.  Now here's the Thing I Do: I use frozen blueberries to cool the oatmeal.  It's so easy AND it makes a nutritious, tasty breakfast even more nutritious and tasty!  I try to use wild blueberries because they're supposed to be better for you and that makes me happy.
I read a similar tip somewhere except they used frozen milk cubes.  That doesn't work for me because I don't want to waste space in my freezer for ice cube trays, plus it would be too much liquid once the milk cubes melted. 

Did I say series?

Well what good is posting the first in a series if there is only one?!  So in retribution I will post one Mom 101 tip every day for the rest of the week.  That is four, so should make up for the last four posts that should have been written.  Hopefully I have enough "Mom wisdom".  (The last bit was sarcastic.  I have enough Mom wisdom to write a book.  Or at least a blog).

First in a Series

I was grocery shopping with my mom the other day.  She gave me a tip which saved me some money, and I realized, she should have a blog.  She knows so many awesome tips and tricks about everything.  For example: when you finish a container of milk, add water to the jug, shake it up, and water your plants.  The milk residue is good for your plants.  I am not trying to pass either of us off as master gardeners, or experts in any way.  But these tips work and I thought I'd share.
  The working title for this series is "Mom 101" until I think of something better.  (Totally open to suggestions).  So here is today's lesson:
When shopping for spices at the market look for the little Hispanic section.  It's usually near the Produce Section and pretty inconspicuous.  It's not the "Hispanic Foods Aisle".  It'll be a wall, or maybe a corner.  There you can find a lot of spices for a fraction of the price.  Example: I was a FoodMaxx the other day (the day of my epiphany).  I needed cumin and said I was going to the Spice Aisle.  Mom said no, look for the Hispanic spices.  I had to ask a clerk, who didn't know what I was talking about.  I described to her that I wanted the spices that come in a bag.  After a few false starts I found it.  I bought 16 oz of cumin for $3.98.  The cumin in the Spice Aisle (in the jar) was 2 oz for $2.96.  That is a huge savings!!  It's a lot of cumin but I'll use it.  You can use cumin in everything - gives food a nice smoky flavor.  I use whenever I cook meat.
They have a variety of your basic spices.  Don't look for Old Bay there, but thyme, paprika, saffron - it's all there and cheap.   Thanks Mom!

Lies my mother tells....

1.  Cell phone rings.  Mommy answers, cupping phone on shoulder while simultaneously changing a poopy diaper on a wriggling baby, in the front seat of the car, in the parking lot of Safeway:
Caller: "Hi, what are you doing?"
Me: "Nothing."

2.  "If you sit on your sister again I'm going to take away all of your toys!"

Mommies make messes too

"Mommy what are you doing?", Liam looks up from his PB & J after he hears my shriek.  "Oh just cleaning up a mess I made," I say.  Actually I just dumped my muffin tin full of blueberry muffin batter across the top of the stove.  Arrghh!  I had just thought to myself "this is so easy, I should make muffins more often" and not a minute later, splat! 
You know I scooped up that batter and threw it back into the muffin tin.  We'll see what happens...meanwhile, what's that burning smell?

Summer slush brain?

What's that saying about the "best laid plans of mice and men"?  I don't know if we are the mice or the men, but all my plans of summer study have gone awry.  Since the spring I have been reading tips on maintaining academics over the summer, articles on how much knowledge kids lose over the summer, and how to avoid it.  I have workbooks for Liam, had planned reading time for Owen, and even planned out how the study sessions would go: the babies would nap in the afternoon at which point the boys would convene at the kitchen table (I would of course teach Owen the meaning of "convene" as well as its antonym... and the meaning of "antonym").  I would have milk and cookies to motivate them, then we would learn for an hour or so.  Very idyllic, no?  Well it hasn't happened yet.  I console myself with throwing the occasional question at Liam - what shape is that?  How do you spell your name?  What letter is that? etc.  Owen is reading everything, including what I don't want him to read (like the fat-free ranch dressing bottle: "it's not fat-free, it's regular", "yes it is Mommy, it says 'fat-free' on the bottle").
We still have three weeks left of summer.  Do we cram, or do we continue with our current schedule of scooters, popsicles, and playdates?  I think the answer is obvious.  I do love a good popsicle :)