Healthy Wealthy Living

My preschooler is at the age where she no longer wants anything babyish because she's "a big girl now". This includes the nursery rhyme decor that we had on her walls. I really didn't want to spend a lot of money on  prints but wanted a personalized look.  She is really into princesses right now. I went to a local  department store and found a calendar on sale for $2.97.  I already had picture frames from her old artwork that could be reused. Steps to making homemade artwork: Buy a calendar or inexpensive children's book   Cut out pages Either place pages directly in frames or cut out images and place in a collage Another idea: scan your child's artwork and then print on photo paper for less than what you would pay for store-bought art If you're child is old enough, have him/her help you. As your child grows and interests change, so will the artwork!

Buy or Sell Kids Clothes in Easy as 1-2-3! Are you inundated with clothes that your kids have outgrown? Do you need to buy pants of a bigger size so your child doesn't look like she's going to go clam digging? I have recently found and am a fan of ThredUp! A convenient, easy-to-use site dedicated to buying and selling kids clothes. I found it so much easier to use than the the larger auction sites. All you do: 1. Click on the ThredUp box above 2. Sign up for FREE 3. They will send you FREE concierge bags to mail in your   goods 4. List what you have and mail it in. 5. To buy clothes just search listings. You can purchase full boxes of clothing for as little as $9. It's that easy!

" ME Time" Spa Gift Certificate Giveaway! I know from a recent Facebook post, that many FMS moms do not get enough "Me Time".  I know we want to be there and take care of the needs of our children, husbands and extended family. We take care of home responsibilities such as cleaning, cooking and endless laundry. We are dedicated employees. We are fabulous friends. We just don't leave time for ourselves. We often feel selfish about taking time for "ME Time". Ladies, "ME Time" is necessary. We need it to refresh and rejuvenate so we can be the Super Moms that we all are! Whether it means taking a long bath or shower, reading a book, getting pampered at a salon, you need to set aside some time each month. Because of this, I'm having a "Me Time" at the Spa Giveaway ! To Enter: Go to the Family Made Simple Facebook Page SHARE the Giveaway Link with your mom, sister and girlfriends COMMENT under the Link that you shared. ...

If you’re anything like me, you have a ton of pictures from the Holidays either on your phone or camera. You want to do something to save the precious memory. You can either print traditional photos or you can print on a canvas for a one-of-a-kind look.  I was searching for canvas prints and found this offer for a FREE 8x10 canvas print or $55 off your purchase!  Enjoy! I'd love to see your creations. Please share on Family Made Simple

Game Day Dish That is Sure to Score A Touchdown! With playoffs and the Super Bowl right around the corner, I’ve been trying to think of a game day dish that will sure to please the under and well above 5 year old groups alike. Here’s a hearty and close to healthy recipe that is super easy to make.  I happened to have cooked chicken breast and spinach in the fridge, so that’s what I used. Yet, it is versatile; you can change the ingredients to pretty much whatever you have on hand (deli meats, hot dogs, pepperoni, hummus, veggies). Game Day Braid Puree cooked chicken breast. Cook frozen spinach in microwave for 5 minutes. Drain all water. An easy way is to put in a strainer and smash with a spoon until dry.  Mix, chicken, spinach, 2 cups of shredded cheese and 1 can of cream soup (cream of chicken, mushroom, broccoli, etc).  Season with your favorite spices.  Place croissant triangles on baking sheet with edges touching.  Put a tsp full on wide end...

Bald Barbie Movement : As a Mom, How Can You Not Support It? I just learned of the Bald Barbie Movement.  I can't even begin to tell you how touched I am by this story. I'm a mom of a 3 year old little girl that loves Princesses, Barbie dolls, anything girly and frilly.  She has short, super curly, Shirley Temple like hair and gets distressed that she doesn't have long straight hair like her Princess dolls.   I've never even thought about how little girls bravely fighting cancer must feel. Now I have.  Why is it that most dolls have long, straight hair? Is this considered the ideal beauty?  Well, now is the time to make a change!  Mattel, Hasbro, Fisher Price, etc, please listen to the outcry. Little girls that have short hair, curly hair or no hair should have a doll that they can call their own! Way to go Bald Barbie Movement for bringing this topic to the forefront! I'm pleading with all Family Made Simple fans and followers to do two th...

Baby Tub To Water Table! I’m sure many of you still have your baby’s first little tub lying around somewhere. I do.  Each time I went down to the basement I would look at it with sadness because it made me think of when my preschooler was little…and how quickly time has passed.  I was going to get rid of it but then thought of a way to re-purpose it. It is too cold to play with her outdoor water table so why not turn the tub into a mini water table?     Place a vinyl tablecloth or tarp on the kitchen floor Turn a Rubbermaid container upside down as a base Put the tub on top Fill only 1/3 to ½ way with water Fill with cups, toy boats, rubber duckies..in my case “Little Mermaid” This is a great activity to keep your child entertained and nearby when you need to be in the kitchen!

All I seem to crave in the winter is yummy, comfort food. We often think that comfort food has to be heavy, full of fat and take a long time to prepare. That's not the case. One of our family favorites only takes about 5 minutes to prepare and 30 mins to cook. “Grandma’s Quick & Easy Roasted Chicken Casserole” 2 Boxes of Perdue Chicken Short Cuts Cooked Chicken Strips 6 slices of  Kraft sliced Swiss cheese (I prefer the light) 1 box of Stove Top Stuffing 2 cans of Campbell's Condensed Soup low-fat Cream of Chicken Soup In a 9x13 casserole dish, layer chicken, cheese and stuffing (prepared per directions on box but not cooked). Pour soup over top. Bake in a 350deg oven for about 30 mins. My family loves this dish. It not only will make your home smell like your cooked all day, but your tummy will be satisfied, with this comfort dish!

Suggested by another Family Made Simple mom, I made my preschooler an indoor "sand"/sensory box.    Here's how to make your own indoor sensory box: Decorate the outside of a Rubbermaid under bed storage container with lots of stickers.  Fill it with rice and small elbow mac (for texture). Find a bunch of experimentation tools such as scoops, funnels, empty/dry water bottles and spoons  Place a large blanket underneath for quick cleanup.   My child even enjoyed taking off her shoes and standing in the box. She got a kick - no pun intended- out of how it felt on her bare feet. Your child will spend hours using his/her imagination while playing with this truly inexpensive "toy".

As featured on the I Can Teach My Child website as a guest blog post...... My preschooler has been showing some interest in learning to write.  Needless to say,  I quickly ran to the nearby learning store to look for some tools.  Boy, was I surprised at the cost of the stencils, wipe and write boards and practice sheets.  I couldn’t bring myself to spend the asking $30 or more for such a tool. I was determined to come up with a less expensive way to teach my daughter to write her ABC’s. I got it…a homemade wipe & write practice board using an inexpensive poster board! Tools: ABC’s or Plain Poster Board Contact Paper Wipe Board Marker How To: If you can’t find a poster with the ABC’s already printed on it, you can easily write the ABCs on a poster board. Cover the front and back of the poster with contact paper. Go slow to insure you don’t leave any bubbles or wrinkles. You want to have a smooth finished product. Now, your child can practice writing ...

Extend Your Summer Wardrobe into Winter! Everyone that I talk to seems to be trying to cut back on costs.  One way to cut back on clothing cost is to think outside-of-the-box and transform your summer dresses into wonderful winter attire. Not only will you save money but increase your wardrobe options. I did just that today!  I took my cute little summer dress from Target , layered it over a turtleneck, black leggings, black high boots and added a black scarf. Can’t forget the mother-of-pearl like dangle earrings to tie the look together! Here’s how you can do the same: Look through your closet. Pull out all your summer dresses (even your tube top dresses) Next take out long sleeved crew neck or turtleneck shirts. They don’t have to match exactly. Let’s say your summer dress is yellow, pair it with a purple shirt for the on-trend color block look or you can pair it with a neutral black, gray, or beige hued shirt! You can top it off with a chunky sweater for added t...