24/7 MOMS

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

One Tough Mother Book Chat


One Tough Mother, did you grab your cup of coffeeor ice cold beverage? Are you ready to chat about Chapter 5: “Analyze This” – Nonnegotiable #3, Stop Tinkering with the Inane?

How often have you wished you had a magic wand that Julie writes about? To accomplish things such as the two areas Julie mentions?

1. Rid the world of certain unsightly fleshly appearances
2. Get moms to see the big picture in mothering

The first one made me laugh as I visualized Julie flying through the local mall waving her wand and suddenlythose wearing these unsightly clothes found themselves now wearing completely different outfits. Can you imagine the looks on the faces of these teens/moms? I hope you, too, were able to imagine Julie's wand waving.

Then there is number two - Get moms to see the big picture in mothering. I had to stop and ask myself' "Am I one of the mothers she is referring to that has lost my maternal confidence, authority and brains to those she refers to as 'The Others'?"

The Others are just about anyone else: my mother, friends, sisters, book authors, seminar speakers and the list continues. Have I become a Mom tinkering with the inane, as Julie writes?

I looked up the word "inane" and here is what I discovered.

The word inane in the Webster dictionary means :
1: empty, insubstantial2: lacking significance, meaning, or point : silly

After a little soul searching and looking back over my so far accomplished mom journey, I think it is safe to say my typical parenting pattern was to rely on my own God-given parenting instinct and authority. UNTIL a problem or situation arose that I had no idea what to do with. O.K., so maybe there were times that was a daily occurrence. Overall I have been the type to only read, research, or get advice when I felt ill-equipped or at a complete lose for answers. Or, my ability to respond to the situation might very well be what puts my kids in full-time counseling the rest of their lives. (Though I often tell my children I torment them with my Mom decisions as I want to be sure to give them good stories to tell those future counselors).

What about you? Do you rely on yourself or The Others when making parenting decisions?

So often you hear Moms discussing topics such as how old should children be to potty train, when to take the pacifier away, or when to move from the crib to the big bed. Or, we Moms of older children might ask questions such as: When should my 16 year old's curfew be? Should my children be allowed to have a MySpace? And the list go on.

Now that I have journeyed through some of the above questions, I will tell you that none of my 5 children will be going to college with their pacifiers (I had one hang on to the pacifier until 4 and another suck their thumb until 10). They are all fully potty trained and they were NOT two when this was accomplished. They all sleep in big beds (Nate-no was 5 and still in his crib). They don’t roam the streets of Gig Harbor until wee hours of the night. And, the three oldest have My Spaces and Face Books, but so do I.

Relax Mom, be confident that you are doing a GREAT job as Mom. Yes, we will have days feeling overwhelmed and incapable of doing this Mom-thing, but overall God gave you these precious amazing children to raise, and He trusts you with them, so trust yourself.

Stop allowing the words, judgments and decisions of others to decide the parenting course you will take.

Now, don’t take me wrong. I do believe in supporting others, sharing what we have learned along the journey. But like Julie writes in her book, we need to stop over-analyzing every decision we make in the mom journey and stand firm in our own convictions as a mom and move forward.

In what areas have you, as a Mom, felt ill-equipped?

Where do you get your Mom advice?

When was the last time you relied on your own parenting decision?

Well, One tough Mothers, I hope you felt Julie's wand wave over you and will walk away from today’s book chat feeling confident in yourself and your God-given ability to be the One Tough Mother.

Chat with you next week on Chapter 6!

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Monday, July 28, 2008

Sophie has Arrived!

Sophie has arrived!

I know, I know... Wasn't 5 kids enough? Many of you know of my desire to adopt since I was 12 years old and went on my fist missions trip to Mexico.

So, who is Sophie? She is our new little girl - 4 months old, sooooo adorable, and sooooo loveable. She eats a lot, gets excited when anyone walks into the room, and needs lots of attention, preferably from me.

No, I did not get my cute little girl from Mexico as I have always wanted. Instead our little adopted Sophie is from Arkansas.

And, the truth is, she is a little furry and has 4 legs, but is still very very cute and lovable, as long as she isn't making messes. She is a black and white Cocker Spaniel puppy.

This was not a planned adoption. It is one of those stories where a home was needed, and the Mom was out-voted.

We are enjoying our new addition, and Sophie seems to fit right in with the craziness of our busy home. The best part is she already sleeps through the night and is almost completely potty trained - my Einstein baby.

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Let's Make a Meal Mondays - July 28th

The Novotnys love to camp, and while camping this family of 7 loves to eat. So, I've been on the hunt for some new creative, yet simple camping recipes.

In my great search I found two websites that contain a huge variety of camping recipes.

The first one I found was Chuck Wagon Diner http://www.chuckwagondiner.com/ from campfire recipes to foil recipes including breakfast ones, too. You can even submit your own recipes.

One of their simple campfire recipes that your children can help create is:



Campfire Stew (also known as Hobo Packs)

Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef
2 large onions, cut in pieces
potatoes, cut in chunks - as much as you like!
1 lb. baby carrots
salt and pepper
The Novotnys also add in zucchini squash along with some garlic seasoning.

Directions:Cut pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil for several packets. Make little balls of ground beef and place on foil. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, salt, pepper, and anything else you choose to include. Wrap up packets very tightly and place on grid over fire. They will take about 30 minutes or longer, depending on the fire.
You can save time by cutting up your veggies and potatoes at home before you leave!

Chuck wagon diner has a cookbook filled with camping recipes. If you are a camping family then this is a must-have cookbook for you. You can order your copy at https://secure.agsinternet.com/chuckwagondiner/

The second website I found was at Razzel Dazzel Recipes http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/camping-recipes/main-dish-recipes.htm. It, too, was full of great recipes for the camping family .

One extremely simple recipe I found on this site that your kids can also help in the creation of is:

Pita Pizza
Ingredients
4 pieces pita bread
2 cups pizza sauce (1/2 cup per pita)
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (1/2 cup per pita)
Toppings of your choice: mushrooms, green bell peppers, pre-cooked sausage, pepperoni, etc.
Heavy-Duty aluminum foil
Directions: Slice pita bread three quarters of the way through. Spread pizza sauce on the bottom layer of the pita bread. Put in toppings and top with cheese.
Close pita and wrap with foil. Cook over coals until hot (approximately 20 minutes).

Do you have a favorite Camping recipe? Email it to trisha@247moms.com to be published in a future 24/7 Moms publication.

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Sunday, July 27, 2008



Making life EZ for me as a mom is what I love to hear or read about. So, when EZ School Supplies arrived in my inbox, telling me about making life EZ for moms with their online EZ School Supplies, I knew this was something I needed to share with my 24/7 Mom friends. (Be sure to read this entire blog post for 2 great offers!) .
Each year I am handed several (remember I have 5 kids) endless lists of school supplies needed for the upcoming school year. I am then given the task of running (driving) from Target to Wal-mart to K-mart to Rite-aid to Walgreen's to Office Depot, and the driving continues until I have checked off each item on each list of the needed school supplies.

With the daily rising gasoline prices and the bridge toll that I have the privilege of paying in order to get to 90% of the above mentioned stores, the savings I will incur on my travel expenses not driving to these stores is enough to get me excited about www.EZSchoolSuplies.com. Why? Because I not only save time (lots of it), I can save money by not driving from store to store.

How does EZ School Supplies work for us as Moms? Simple. Grab your school supply list, head to your computer, and go online to http://www.ezschoolsupplies.com/ and begin shopping for your kids' school supplies.

Another helpful feature is that your children's schools can register and place their supply lists online and receive a 10% donation of all items ordered from the families in their school. What a simple fundraiser for your school! (Be sure to email your PTA or VPO president today about this.)
I can testufy that not only is this the EZ way to check off your childs school supply list but their products are GREAT quality. EZ Schoool Supplies sent me a EZ pack of products so that I Could see for myself that this is a top notch company.

Remember EZ School supplies makes life EZ for Moms at http://www.ezschoolsupplies.com/

Offer #1: EZ School Supplies is offering all 24/7 MOMS blog readers a 10% off special. Just use the 24/7 Moms code - EZMB066 - at check out for your 10% savings.

Offer #2: Are you a Mom blogger? You can win a free EZPack of school supplies from 24/7 Moms and EZ School Supplies by entering for your chance to be in the 24/7 Moms EZ School Supplies Blog Tour. Email us trisha@247moms.com your blog address and email address, and on July 31st, we will select 4 Moms to receive an EZPack school supply kit in exchange for blogging about us.

EZ School Supplies is a company all about making life EZ for moms.

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Saturday, July 26, 2008

Dogs Need Sleep To


Are you tired, exhausted, overwhelmed, and ready for a nap? I remember the days when I would lay my little ones down for their 3 hour nap (yes, my kiddos took 3 hour naps). I often dreamt of joining them or taking the 3 hours to relax and take some Me time. Then reality would set in, and I knew I had 3 hours to get life in order, catch up on my housework, pay bills, get dinner ready, fold another load of laundry, make phone calls, and the list went on. So, the Nap and Me time had to remain a dream not a reality. But, oh how much I needed some Me time to refuel.
After 19 years on this Mom journey I realize the importance of taking some Mom Time to refuel, so that I can give back to my family. This is why 24/7 Moms is offering a 2-day Moms conference for You - the Mom who desperately needs time for herself - Time to Laugh, Time to Be Inspired, Time to Connect with other Moms, Time to Get Equipped, and Time to Refuel.

Check out the 24/7 Moms Conference at http://www.247momsconference.com/. Register by August 1, 2008, and receive a $10.00 discount!
A friend sent me this story and I thought maybe you, too, could get a good LOL (laughing out loud). Relate to it, and think about the 24/7 Moms Conference as your escape rather than your neighbors home.
An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard; I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of. He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleepAn hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.

The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks.

Curious I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'

The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come along with him tomorrow?'

Do you ever feel that way?

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Friday, July 25, 2008

Trisha's Friday Favorites July 25

More of my Summer Favorites to share with you:


My Favorite Summer Celebration:

My Grandparents' 70th Wedding Anniversary has been my favorite Summer Celebration.

Last week my 5 kids, Hubby and I went to California to celebrate, with the rest of my extended family, my grandparents' 70th wedding anniversary. WOW - what a celebration my mom and family put on for my grandparents.

It was an amazing time to reflect on what they have meant to us over the years. They have truly inspired us, mentored us, taught us amazing life lessons, encouraged us, believed in us, cheered us on, created life long memories, and the list goes on.

What an incredible legacy they have created for our family. Happy 70th, Poca and Dana! Thanks for being incredible role models to the next generations.

What has been your favorite summer celebration?

My Favorite Summer Contest:

I have become a BIG fan of Tekeme Design Studios, and this week they have a great design grab bag contest going on at their blog: http://tekemestudios.blogspot.com/

Be sure to enter soon - it ends August 4, 2008.

How to Play


Leave a comment on their blog - http://tekemestudios.blogspot.com/ - with your e-mail address and a number between 1 and 20. Check their blog when the contest ends (August 4, 2008) and find out which prize matches your number. The items below will be listed as prizes, but they will assign each one a random number and the following numbers will be "Sorry, Not A Winner." So, if you happen to choose the number they selected for any of the 5 design packages, you win!




PS. Post a blog about this contest on your blog, e-mail them at info@tekeme.com to let them know, and choose an additional number for every post you write.

Free Blog Design

Free Pro Blog Design

Free Business Card Design

Free Logo Design


Free Postcard Design


Sorry, Not A Winner




Contest Rules

Leave a comment on theirblog http://tekemestudios.blogspot.com/. Make sure you LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS and a number 1-20, otherwise you will not be entered.


Because this contest could have a lot of winners, each winner may receive a design completion date of one month or more from the end date of the contest.


Winners will be chosen on August 4, 2008.


My Favorite Summer Drink:


I am a water-drinking gal, unless there is a can or bottle of A&W Root Beer that is begging me to drink it.

It brings back those childhood memories of pulling into our local Petaluma, California, A&W and waiting for the roller skating waitress to arrive at our windows to take our orders and then deliver our food to us car-side on those cool hook-on window trays.

Do you remember those days? Okay, I am showing my age, but ahh, the taste of an ice cold frosty mug of root beer has never left my favorite list.

Then there were the special times of being allowed to order a root beer float. MMMMM - don't you want one now?

Today we can run to our local grocer and pick up a 12 pack of A&W along with a ½ gallon of vanilla ice cream and make our own homemade floats. However, I promise you there is nothing like the real thing at a local A& W Root Beer Restaurant. So, if you happen to be traveling through a small town and spot an original A&W, I highly suggest a quick stop for an ice cold frosty mug of A&W root beer. If you want to really create a lasting memory, treat your kids to a float. ENJOY!

What is your favorite summer drink?

My Favorite Summer Cleaning product:

Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber - http://www.scrubbingbubbles.com/. Now that is a mouth full, but truly a fabulous cleaning product.

Two things make this product my favorite
The handle is easy for me to grip and hang on to while I scrub away at my shower and tubs.
No more breathing chemical fumes from using bathroom spray cleaners. Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber uses disposable pads that contain tiny scrubbing fibers and concentrated scrubbing bubbles. Now I can breathe again.
Before you run to the store to shop for your new Action Scrubber, click http://www.scrubbingbubbles.com/coupon/2008-07-SB/ and print yourself a $2.75 off coupon.

I want to thank both Mom Central http://www.momcentral.com/ and Scrubbing Bubbles http://www.scrubbingbubbles.com/ for asking me to review this product. I have now discovered a new favorite cleaning product, and I know you will, too. Click, print and shop for your own Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber today!

Do you have a favorite summer cleaning product?

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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Swapping the Swap Tree way






Have you ever swapped a book , CD or movie with a friend so that you didn't have to go out and pay full price for it?

I have a new place to swap with my online community of swapping friends - http://www.swaptree.com/. I can swap books, movies, music and video games. So all those no-longer-needed piles can soon be swapped for items on my personal want list, all for FREE. I only have to pay for postage. How cool is that? I can even print postage and shipping labels from the Swaptree site.

It is as simple as 1-2-3-4. All I have to do is List, Relax, Choose and Swap.

Time to de-clutter your piles and your kids' piles and swap for those wanted items, saving you time, money and even a little gasoline. All your swapping can be done right from your home computer and mailbox.

This is just another way we Moms can save money and enjoy the things on our want list. So go get swapping! Who knows, maybe we will be swapping items with each other.

Tell the 24/7 Moms about your swapping adventures. Leave your comments here on the blog.

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Picture People Disney Offer

Calling all Disney- crazed moms: Picture People has a Fun offer just for you:



C lick here for your coupon: http://www.picturepeople.com/promotion/email/portrait_contest/pcontest_landing.html


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Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Thrifty Tuesday Finds - July 22




Welcome back to Tuesday's Thrifty Finds! Is it just me or have you noticed that the HOTTEST topics in the media right now are focused on frugal living, saving money, living cheaper, how to survive the rising cost of living, shopping smarter, etc.?

This is why each Tuesday 24/7 Moms shares with you the thrifty ideas we have found to help you, as a mom, save on your family budget.

If you have your own frugal ideas, thrifty finds or other suggestions for our Thrifty Tuesday Finds blog posts, email them to trisha@247moms.com.

Here are this week's Tuesday's Thrifty Finds to help you stretch your budget one more week.


Stretching the Mighty Dollar

Moms, you can stretch the mighty grocery dollar from 30% to 50% by shopping at discount and salvage grocery stores.

Some of you might be asking, "What is a Discount or Salvage Grocery Store?"

The answer is:

A Discount Grocery Store is a grocery store that, through various contracts and sources, liquidate overstocks and salvage groceries. These sell in their stores at discounts ranging from 30% to 50% off what the same item would sell for in your local supermarket. Sometimes these are no frills stores that resemble a warehouse more than a store, sometimes not.

A Salvage Grocery Store is a store that usually sells all the groceries returned by a supermarket to their warehouse. Why were they returned? Sometimes due to a case getting dropped or punctured, which ruins one or two cans or boxes. Sometimes due to a manufacturer overestimating how many of an item to produce. Sometimes due to a label change or warehouse closing. Whatever the reason, these excess goods must be sold. Items whose packaging is compromised are discarded and the rest sent out by the truckload to be sold at your local salvage grocery store.

So, where do you find these discount or salvage grocery stores in your local area to stretch the mighty grocery dollar as you shop for you family?
I found a directory of grocery outlets and salvage stores at

http://www.andersonsmarket.info/directory

You can also go to the Grocery Outlet website to find the locations of their stores at:

http://www.groceryoutlets.com/home.aspx

Where do you shop to stretch the mighty grocery dollar?


FREEbies
4 FREEbies for you:

FREE Huggies wipes at: http://marthababysteps.com/reqform.php


FREE samples of Healthy to go drink mixes for your bottled water at: http://togobrands.com/free/sample


Shopping Bargains

Are you beginning your back to school shopping yet? Old Navy (www.oldnavy.com) is having a stock up sale - the more you buy, the more you save. With 5 kids I can use all the stock up bargains I can find.

Here is a sample of what I found for my two youngest boys:

Polo shirts $9.00 each when you buy 2 or more

Fleece hoodies (you never can have enough of these) $12.50 each when you buy 2 or more

Ringer Tees $5.00 each when I buy 2 or more

The best deal for my boys is the Old Navy jeans I can save $7.00 on each pair when you purchase 2 or more

I also found some great T-shirts on clearance for $4.99 each.

Shipping right now is a flat $7.00, which is half the cost of my driving expense to Old Navy with our bridge toll and high priced gasoline. This is a bargain for me.

I found a FREE shipping code for purchases of $100 or more when you use your Old Navy credit card: JUST4YOU

Hurry, sale ends July 31, 2008!


Coupon Queen

Join the Rubbermaid Club for money-saving coupons, sweepstakes & rebates!

http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/index.jhtml;jsessionid=GQW1GWC13BH5ECQIUBSCJBQKBCQHQJCK

Do you have a thrifty idea? Email me at trisha@247moms.com and share it for a future 24/7 MOMS publication.

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Monday, July 21, 2008

Let's Make a Meal Mondays - July 21st



This week I have another FREEbie cookbook give-away - Jyl Steinback’s Countertop Magician. It contains more than 200 easy recipes using time saving kitchen appliances, like your blender, wok, toaster oven, electric skillet and microwave.

This is the perfect cookbook for the busy mom who wants to make the most of her kitchen and let her kitchen work for her. It also includes a section on stocking your kitchen from A (aprons) to Z (zesters) - everything you need for the perfect and not so perfect kitchen.

And, let’s not forget that Jyl Steinback places focus on creating healthy family meals.

This week’s Let’s Make a Meal Mondays recipe comes from Countertop Magician, by Jyl Steinback.
One-Stop Chicken Meal
(serves 4 – original recipe served 2, so I doubled it in the recipe below)

Ingredients
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning
2 medium potatoes, sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cups baby carrots
½ cup non-fat chicken broth
½ tsp celery seeds
pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat toaster oven or conventional oven to 400°. Cut 4 pieces of heavy-duty foil into 8x10 inch rectangles; spray with cooking spray.
Place one chicken breast on each sheet and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash seasoning.
Divide potato, onion and baby carrots and arrange around the chicken breasts. Top each with 2 tablespoons chicken broth. Sprinkle with celery seeds and pepper.
Fold sides of foil around chicken and vegetables; fold over to seal
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

Enter to win this week’s featured cookbook, Countertop Magician, by Jyl Steinback, by sending an email with your favorite cookbook and email address to Trisha@247moms.com by August 11, 2008. 24/7 MOMS uses the random number generator for all random drawings.



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Friday, July 18, 2008

Trisha's Friday Summer Favorites July 18th

It’s Friday and time for more of my Summer Favorites:

My Favorite Summer Me time:


Each Summer for the past 3 years I have treated myself to ME time at my local nail salon with a pedicure…I look forward to the warm weather and wearing my flip flops with my freshly painted toe nails, I also love the added little flower 
design they paint on my big toes. To me this is a gre
at ME time treat.

What do you do for a Summer ME time treat?

My Favorite Summer swim cover-up:

This year I found the perfect, inexpensive swim suit cover-up at my local wal-mart for $11.88. Not only are they my favorite they are also my two teen daughters favorites.  We each purchased one in different colors. Mine is chocolate brown, Shelby’s is white and Sav
annah purchased an orange one. They are a strapless , made of comfy terry cloth and can also be used as an after shower cover up while getting ready for the day. I am getting such great use out of this cover up I might need to head back to wal-mart and buy a second one.


My Favorite Summer Reading:


If you recall from my past blog entries I am a magazine junkie, and when you have several monthly subscriptions and 5 kids there is NOT always time to sit and read each one so I have been using my boys swim lesson time to catch up on my magazine reading.

I am enjoying reading the articles, clipping the recipes and coupons, and getting in the KNOW of what is new beyond my front porch, I enjoy reading the book reviews, real life stories, How to articles and helpful tips as a MOM.

My Favorite magazines to catch up reading on are Today’s Christian Women, Hallmark, Real Simple  and Family Circle.

Do you have a Favorite Magazine?

My Favorite Summer Candy:

During the summer months I tend to eat more Red Vines red licorice then anytime of the year – I have a hard time walking past a package of it while I’m shopping at the grocery store, Target or Wal-mart. I even keep a supply in my RV for our camping trips.

Though, I will continue to be faithful to Red Vines red licorice I did come across a new licorice that was so incredibly good I had to tell my daughter to take the bag away from me, it really was not a healthy lunch. This amazing sweet treat was called Kookaburra licorice from Australia. Mango is my favorite flavor, it also comes in a variety of other flavors. I found a place you can buy it online http://www.kookaburralicorice.com/shop/ – if you live in Gig Harbor you can purchase it at Harbor Greens.

Do you have a favorite summer candy?

Come back next Friday for more of my favorites.

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Thursday, July 17, 2008

Bisquick Cookies

On the shelf in my pantry sits the ginormous box of Bisquick that I buy almost monthly from Costco. Why? Because I am a Bisquick girl, raised on pancakes, waffles and shortcake made straight from the Bisquick box. Today I learned something new about Bisquick and homemade cookies.

Since I am also a cookie-eating mom, I prefer to bake them, freeze them, then eat them one by one out of the freezer when my children aren’t watching. Not because I don’t want them to have too many sweets. No, it is because I don’t want to share my homemade cookies with them, or at least not very many of them.

So what did I learn? I came across an email from Betty Crocker (no, not really Betty herself) sharing these great scrumptious looking cookie recipes using my ginormous box of Bisquick. I thought, "Is this a new idea or just one I’ve missed over the last decade of my life?" Whichever it is doesn’t really matter since I now have discovered this new baking secret .

Here are three recipes I found on the Betty Crocker website. There are plenty more for you to discover as well at:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/search/searchresults.aspx?terms=bisquick%20cookies&Tab=Recipes


Monster Cookies

Monster cookies appeal to the cookie cravings in all of us. These monsters shout oats, chocolate, raisins and nuts.
Prep Time:50 min
Start to Finish:50 min
Makes:About 1 1/2 dozen 3 1/2-inch cookies


1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
1 cup candy-coated chocolate candies
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients.
2. On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls about 2 inches apart. Flatten to about 1/2-inch thickness with bottom of glass that has been greased and dipped into granulated sugar.
3. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 3 minutes; carefully remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 11 to 14 minutes.

.
Chocolate Candy-Peanut Butter Cookies

One plus one equals delicious! Chocolate and peanut butter are a perfect match in these classic cookies.
Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:50 min
Makes:3 dozen cookies
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1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sugar
36 Hershey®'s Kisses® milk chocolates, unwrapped

1. Heat oven to 375ºF. Mix milk and peanut butter in large bowl until smooth. Stir in Bisquick and vanilla.
2. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press 1 milk chocolate candy into top of each cookie.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft) Bake 9 to 11 minutes.

Quick Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookie baking with Bisquick® mix eliminates the additional measuring that comes with scratch baking.
Prep Time:1 hr 20 min
Start to Finish:1 hr 20 min
Makes:About 4 1/2 dozen cookies


1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
2 3/4 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, vanilla and egg. Stir in Bisquick mix, chocolate chips and nuts.
2. Onto ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart; flatten slightly.
3. Bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 400°F.

Have you ever used Bisquick to bake cookies? Do you have a recipe to share with the 24/7 MOMS?

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

One Tough Mother Book Chat - Week 3 -Chapter 4


Welcome back One Tough Mother, are you ready to chat about chapter 4 with me?

Do you have your cup of coffee or other beverage of choice? Then sit down and let’s begin our chat today as we continue this journey together of becoming One Tough Mothers.

Chapter 4 – Non-negotiable #2 Delight in your perfectly ORDINARY child.

Did Julie just tell us ORDINARY not extraordinary? What about all those books I have read and speakers I have listened to telling me over and over again the importance of raising Extraordinary, Courageous, Successful, children? Do I toss out all I have learned and now strive just for the ordinary kid?

Ready for my personal thoughts? I have finally been let off the hook of the stress of trying to raise the EXTRAORDIANRY kid and the mega pressure of trying to keep up with the competitive, over achieving, comparison playing parent who spends a fair amount of time judging my kid (and your kid) and my parenting ability for not living up to their expectations of the extraordinary child they are trying to raise in their home.

You know what I am talking about those conversations we find ourselves in with other parents comparing our children and parenting with each other from our parenting philosophies to what our children can do, what they have accomplished, what great choices they are making and blah blah blah. Only to then walk away feeling like the failed parent whose child in no way lives up to the other parents amazing extraordinary kids. Yet prior to the conversation we were content with our parenting ability and the so far outcome of our children.

How many of us have started those conversations as well? Leaving behind a parent feeling ill equipped, feeling a sense of failure, feeling less then adequate in their parenting? (This is another topic we could discuss on being a judging mom)

Have you been the obsessed mother Julie talks about with high expectations of raising that EXTRAORDIANRY child? From playing classical music to your pregnant belly, believing the only right way was/is to breast feed, limiting their TV and video time, enrolling them in pre-school prep classes or signing your child up for every activity or lesson to put them above the ordinary kids?

Let’s be honest here I am sure you and I both have pursued and done things that we felt would give our children the opportunity to be the EXTRADORDIANRY child or should I say it a little clearer better then the other kids we might even believe a few of our parenting philosophies are the ONLY way.

Please don’t misunderstand me or even Julie, I am not saying it is wrong to do what you feel is best for your child, what you feel they need to become contributing members of our society, what I am saying is STOP and check your motives, check why you are doing the things you are doing with and for your children, are you stressed with the pressure of all you are doing to raise your EXTRAORDINARY child are they stressed with all of your expectations of them? Are they happy children? When they leave home what will they remember? A home of fun, laughter and acceptance of who they are or a home of stress, high expectations and lack of accepting who they really are?

Now you might be asking BUT how do I put my parenting in reverse and stop the extraordinary madness in my child rearing?

Julie proposes in her book this to us “Let’s stand up as One Tough Mother and refocus our time, energy and dreams on raising and discovering the wonderfully ordinary children living in our homes”. She goes on to share with us that the best way to begin this process is to start asking ourselves , our spouses and our children some simple and ordinary questions ( various questions can be found on pages 66-67) so that we can get to know our selves and those we love a little deeper. By doing this we will begin to see the amazing qualities in each person (including ourselves).

And as Julies says “Soon we will discover that ordinary isn’t boring, meaningless or unworthy”.

What ordinary quality have you discovered about yourself, your spouse or your children?

What are you doing to STOP the extraordinary madness in your child rearing?

Do you feel like me that we are off the hook on raising EXTRAORDINARY kids? And you can now focus on raising the ordinary kid?

What are your thoughts on raising ordinary vs. extraordinary kids?
Chat with you next Wednesday for more of One Tough Mother

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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Thrifty Tuesday Finds


This weeks Thrifty Tuesday Finds:

Stretching the Mighty Dollar with two of My Money saving Favorites:

Take 5 – While shopping we often see things that appeal to us, look yummy to eat or think we HAVE to have it now. Then we get to the check out counter and realize how many unneeded items we are buying and buyers remorse sets in when we see our total bill of sale.

A Simple tip to prevent unneeded purchases - Whenever you choose an item to buy or have placed one in your shopping cart Take 5 seconds and ask yourself do I NEED this item, why a I buying it or can I live life without it? If you have realized you are NOT in immediate need of this item, put it back , remind yourself of the money you have now saved by taking 5.


2nd Time around shopping – Before you head out to make a NEW purchase of a needed item, stop and ask yourself can I purchase this item used?

There are numerous places that we can now purchase needed items at reduced prices by buying them gently used.

Some great 2nd time around places to shop are:

Online shopping
Ebay – http://www.ebay.com/
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/
Half.com – http://www.half.com/
Craig’s List – http://www.craigslist.com/
Goodwill – http://www.goodwill.com/

Local store shopping
Goodwill
Local Thrift Stores
Garage/Yard Sales
Half Price books
Consignment Stores – Children’s clothing, adults and Misc. items.



Summer FREEbies for Kids:


Encouraging our kids to read and do other chores during the summer can be easier with some of these FREEbie reward offers for our kids :









Half Price Books Summer reading program http://www.halfpricebooks.com/feed_your_brain.html




Barnes and Noble Summer Reading program http://www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading/




Online Bargain:

The early bird catches the worm is the saying and in this case the early bird saves money – 24/7 MOMS is offering a $10.00 discount to EVERY mom who registers by August 1, 2008 for the FIRST 24/7 MOMS conference being October 10th -11th, 2008 in Gig Harbor, WA. Check out all the details at http://www.247momsconference.com/.

Invite all your MOM friends and make history by attending this unforgettable conference.

Who will you invite to join us?

Coupon Queen:

Are you on the hunt for places to clip coupons to save money on your weekly shopping ?

Some of my favorite places to FIND coupons are:

My Sunday Paper
Magazines I read
My local Grocery stores web site
Through out my grocery store there are coupon dispensers
Online printable coupons from companies who’s products I purchase
In My Mail Box – (valu-pak, local coupon fliers etc)
In my in-Box Newsletters, emails and companies I have signed up to receive special coupons and offers from.

Where do you find coupons?




Email us your Thrifty Finds to trisha@247moms.com to be used in future 24/7 MOMS publications.

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Monday, July 14, 2008

Let's Make a Meal Mondays - July 14th


Are you getting your daily recipes from Real Simple right in your in-box?

Sign up today and begin getting your daily dose of REAL SIMPLE recipes at
http://ebm.cheetahmail.com/r/regf2?a=0&aid=1085805114&n=1

You can also log onto their website at http://www.realsimple.com/ and search for lots of great REAL SIMPLE recipes.

What I like best about these daily recipes is that they are REAL SIMPLE.

This week's Let’s Make a Meal Mondays recipes come from the Real Simple website and includes both a perfect BBQ dinner entrée and a yummy ice cream dessert.

Balsamic-Basted Steaks
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons coarse mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 to 8 long, fresh rosemary sprigs
optional Kitchen twine or string
4 (6-ounce) filet mignon steaks, 1 inch thick

4 small red onions, halved
4 plum tomatoes, halved
Cooking oil spray


Directions

Mix together the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large, shallow dish. If desired, wrap a rosemary sprig around edge of steak and tie ends securely with kitchen string. Repeat with other steaks. Place steaks in marinade and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.


Lightly coat clean grids of grill with cooking oil spray. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Lightly brush onion and tomato halves with oil. Place onions on grill, cut side down, and grill 10 minutes with the lid down. Turn and cook 5 minutes more; transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Place steaks on grill and cook, without turning, 4 minutes with the lid down. Turn steaks and place tomatoes, cut side down, on grill. Cook steak and tomatoes, with lid down, 4 minutes. Transfer steak to plates along with the onions and tomatoes. Yield: Serves 4

Easy Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
6 ice cream sandwiches (3.5 ounces each)
2 1.5-ounce candy bars or 1/2 cup chocolate chips, chopped

Directions
Line an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with a piece of wax paper or parchment, allowing the paper to hang over both long sides. In a large bowl, beat the cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.


In the bottom of the pan, arrange 3 of the sandwiches in a single layer, cutting them to fit as necessary. Spread with half the whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches and whipped cream.Sprinkle the top of the cake with the chopped candy bar.


Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 week.Holding both sides of the paper overhang, lift the cake out of the pan and transfer to a platter. Discard the paper, slice the cake, and serve.


Do you have a REAL SIMPLE recipe? Send it to 24/7 MOMS for a future publication at mailto:trisha@247moms.com

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Friday, July 11, 2008

You're Invited to the 24/7 MOMS Conference



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