Works for Me Wednesday

To catch the "sweat" from an icy cold water bottle... Cut off the top of an old tube sock and slide it over your water bottle.  Works so great! And afterward I just store it in the kitchen drawer with all our baggies n such. Easy as that!

For hundreds more little tips from moms that KNOW, click here! Happy Wednesday!

No more scraping windows!

While we're at it talking about how much I love coupon codes, I just remembered I wanted to share a little tip I've learned since being married to my wonderful husband.... Instead of scraping frost or ice off your windshield, just spray your de-icer washer fluid! It's gone in an instant! You might still have to scrape your side windows but if you were parked in the right direction, they're not usually as bad anyway. You might go through washer fluid faster, but it is soooo worth it!

Works For Me Wednesday: Lime Press

I realized the other day when making Hubby a key lime pie that I actually have a tip to share this week: to squeeze the juice of key limes I use a garlic press! And just because I never have anything to share like this, I'll add a ton of pictures....

cut the key limes in half

place sideways in garlic press

...and squeeze!

here are the squashed limes

and here is the juice

Once I have all the juice I need (1/2 c), I pour it back through the press to catch any pulp or seeds that might have been pushed through.

the collection

Now all the juice is done and ready for the rest of the ingredients!

Go to Shannon's for more great tips!

Save money TODAY!

Milehimama was so nice to share this for her "Works for Me Wednesday" tip, and I'm so excited about it I thought I'd pass it along to all of you!

Walgreens is doing FREE refills on printer ink cartridges TODAY ONLY! I'm definitely planning on taking advantage of this deal, so go check it out at the website or print the coupon here.

WFMW: Umm, (tampons)

I store 2 or 3 tampons inside a hard glasses case so a) so when I go in my purse to get my wallet or something out, they're disguised and b) it protects them from getting all smooshed in my purse if they're in there for awhile! Works for me!

For other fabulous tips, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

And remember TODAY is the day to help Heather by donating to her love offering over at BooMama's. As she said there, "BLESS HEATHER'S SOCKS OFF!"

Works for Me: Kitchen Scissors

Okay, this is a REALLY basic one and I'm sure everyone does it, but just in case you don't, here's my tip: Instead of cutting with a knife onto a cutting board, use kitchen scissors to cut green onions right into whatever you're cooking (guessing on the amount). And cut the whole bunch at the same time. This is so fast and easy! I was excited when I figured this out for myself!

What else do YOU use kitchen scissors for??

For more fabulous tips from the women that know, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

WFMW: Car Edition

So today Shannon is hosting a "Works for Me" Car Edition, but since my babe is only 8 months and is only child so far, car trips aren't a hassle yet. BUT we've already taken two trips on an airplane with baby in tow, one of those times just being baby and me, so I'll share some tips for getting through the airport without chaos....

#1 As long as baby is still small enough to hold in your lap fairly comfortably, check the car seat so you don't have to lug it around.

#2 Only bring diaper bag and a small toy bag. Pack your purse in your suitcase and just find a place for your wallet and keys in the diaper bag. Less baggage = so much less stress!

#3 Get an umbrella stroller!! a) You can collapse it and set it back up with one hand while baby is on your other arm. b) It easily fits through the X-ray machine. c) It's so much easier to quickly weave through the crowds. d) Easier to navigate through bathroom when it's tight quarters. As long as baby is in the stroller, just hang the diaper bag off the back of it (it won't tip over), so you don't have to carry the bags while you're walking. Then check the stroller plane side. Sometimes they'll even have it set up for you when you go to retrieve it after your flight. People are VERY helpful and kind to you when they know you have a baby, especially if you're traveling by yourself and don't have Hubby's help.

#4 For formula-fed baby: Bring your normal can of formula. Bring a small thermos and as soon as you get through security, stop at the first coffee shop or restaurant and ask them to fill your thermos with hot water. (They'll do it, no questions asked.) And also buy a cold bottled water. When you need to make a bottle, make it with half (or less) of the boiling hot water and half with cold water (just so the temperature is right). I try to make sure baby is fed before going on plane but if I don't have time for that, I at least make sure that the bottle is made and ready to go because once you're on the plane, you don't have much space and baby is in your lap and stress and frustration is inevitable.

#5 For solid food meals: bring a couple Bibsters (disposable bibs) so you can just throw it away when you're done and not have to worry about somehow cleaning off baby's bib.

#6 While on the plane, make sure baby is sucking on something during take-off and landing to help his ears pop. My son didn't have any troubles at all with this and only once did he scream for a few minutes because he was overtired and resisting sleep. Yes, we were one of those people, but we got through. You have your small bag of toys to attempt entertaining baby, but the best option would be to get baby to sleep during flight. All I can really say is good luck during the flight!

I've been so wonderfully blessed with our positive travel experiences. Just be flexible, go with the flow, and stay calm. My son was an absolute trooper and did better than expected!

For other great travel tips, visit Shannon. Happy Wednesday!

WFMW: Quick Kitchen Cleanup

This is a simple idea, but I thought I'd pass it on anyway... instead of peeling things (potatoes, carrots, apples, egg shell, etc) onto a cutting board and then when done having to take the lid off the trash can so I can carefully scrape it into the trash, then put the trash can lid back on. OR directly peeling over the trash can and accidentally dropping your produce in it... I peel veggies or whatever onto a piece of paper towel, so when I'm done I just fold up the paper towel, toss it in the trash, and move on! It's as quick as the time it took you to read those words! And it certainly works for me!

For more great tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer!

WFMW: Baby Food

I'm a new mom and still figuring out my own tricks for keeping a home, so I'm not sure how many WFMWs (Works For Me Wednesday) I'll be able to do, but today I can share how I plan my baby's meals. (He's 7 1/2 months) In order to make sure he gets his rainbow of nutrition throughout each day AND has a good variety throughout the week, I started making a weekly meal chart. It helps me know exactly what and how much I need to buy at the store so I can get through the whole week. It's pretty obvious, the text is colored according to the color of the food. The yellow shaded box means it's a new food he's trying and I'll have to watch for allergies.

Once I buy the food, then I put it all out on the counter and arrange it into rows --breakfast, lunch, and dinner (2 rows for dinner b/c he gets 2 jars at dinner). While doing this, I break apart the Gerber 2-packs of Stage 2 Foods since the individual containers are still marked. Once I have all my rows ready and the foods are layed out for the week, I put them in the cupboard, starting with the end of the week and moving up. When it's all done, the foods for the beginning of the week should be at the front, and at mealtime I just grab what's in front, double-checking with the chart that I post on the inside of the cupboard door. I know, sounds elaborate for a 7 month old who doesn't care much about having variety and balanced diet, but nutrition is important and so is organization an de-stressing your life in ways that you can. So when it comes to baby food, this is what works for me!

For more great tips visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.