Bobby Pins & Claw Clips

Bobby Pins
Aside from tradition hair uses and a great lock pick for diary locks, lol, bobby pins have many great uses. Here are some that I have found useful:

1. Bookmarkers, I use colorful ones for my calendar, great at keeping little slips of paper together;
2. Alternative paper clip/binder;
3. Stretch one out into one long wire and use it as a hair stick;
4. Crafters can use them to mark spots on the edges of cloth or temporarily stabilize cloth without leaving marks;

Claw Clips
I have dark hair and whenever I go to the store to get the multi-pack of small size claw clips they always come in at least 3 shades so I have to find uses for the lighter ones.

1. Keep wires together in the car, on my bedside table, at my desk, etc.;
2. Bind headphone wires, ribbon, or small size dog leashes together;
3. Hold house plants in place with sticks, great for orchids;
4. Helps keep hair wraps and wrapped towels in place.

Decorate either of these bad boys if you would like them to be visable. They come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, not just the traditional ones you often see in drug stores or grocery stores. I have some glittery ones I picked up along the way somewhere and now they are book markers.

Everyday Alternative Uses for Baby Wipes

There are some great web sites on alternative uses for baby wipes. I've used many of them. Scented baby wipes work best for when you want the extra fresh scent left behind. These are quick alternatives and should not be a substitute for traditional cleaning methods. I continually find myself needing a quick freshening up or I'm on the road in which case I always keep them handy. Below are the uses I've found to be most helpful:

1. Stain Remover, on clothing and furniture, works best if used right after the spill is found;
2. Surface cleaner, removing marker/crayons, dirt, stickiness, wiping down purses, bags, and toys;
3. Last minute cleaning, dusting, bathrooms, counters;
4. Shop helper when your kid "helps" you and gets greasy and dirty;
5. Auto detailing;
6. Makeup Remover, not as good on waterproof mascara;
7. Body sweat/odor remover;
8. Kid cleaning, great on a Swiffer, or just hand your kid a baby wipe and let him go nuts;
9. Wiping down residue in toilets, washers/dryers, and trash cans;
10. Pet bather, clean ears, paws, faces, and body parts, especially useful on puppies, short hair dogs, and seniors.

Add a comment if you have a great alternative use for baby wipes!

How to beat the heat in NH

1. Go jump in the lake. Many towns here have lakes with beaches for the residents of the town to enjoy. Keep a spare suit, towel, flip flops, and whatever else will make you comfortable, in a bag in your car. On the way home stop by the lake and jump in! You're only a few minutes from home. You're core body temperature will drop to a more comfortable temperature then you can go home, relaxed, and ready to start your evening.
2. Kiddie pool. If you are already home and don't have a pool a kiddie pool and a hose will do just as well. If you have kids and/or dogs do double duty and hose them off too. You'll feel cooler and accomplished.
3. Do yard work then hose down. Ok, so the manual labor might not sound that appealing but you will get something done, work off some tension, then cool off AND pre-rinse your now sweaty grubby clothing by drenching yourself.
4. Creative Drinks. Don't just go for the ice water. Try something fun and different. Here are a few ideas... We freeze peppermint leaves in our ice cube trays then use the peppermint ice cubes in cold ice tea or other drinks; freeze juice in ice cube trays and put them in a glass of cold juice. You'll avoid too much dilution and still maintain  the yummy juicy drink. Make fruit smoothie for a snack or skip a meal. My son calls these "ice cream." One serving for us is one fruit or 1/2 cup of frozen fruit, 1/4 cup of your favorite yogurt, some honey if you want it sweeter, some ice, and 1/4 cup of milk. OK, so this is probably more like 2 servings. Put it all into a blender, in that order, blend until smooth. For a healthy twist, add protein powder, flax meal, and/or wheat germ (does add texture to the smoothie).
5. Take a cool shower. If all else fails or you just can't do any of the above, take a cool shower and don't be afraid to do it several times a day. When we lived in CT for a summer we had an A/C room and I still took a minimum of 2 showers a day.

1st Kid Regrets

Things I want to do differently with this next kid ...

- Pump during newborn months so I could get more sleep! Have hubby use the Bottle warmer
- Not stress out about whether or not to use the cart/carriage and high chair seat covers
- Travel/Fly to see family while the new baby can't wiggle and run away from me!
- More mommy time!

Handy Food and Other Stuff

1. Dairy - Milk, 2%, shredded Mexican style cheese, yogurt (nonfat Greek, cream on top, and drinks)
2. Juices - OJ, white grape juice, Gatorade for the husband;
3. Grains - bread, raisin bread, rice, tortillas;
4. Veggies - all the time - broccoli, carrots, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, peppers, potato; when in season - potato, squashes, avocado;
5. Fruits - all the time - bananas; when in season - apples, peaches/plums, Rainier Cherries, persimmons;
6. Other - Salsa (chunky, mild), Chips (current favorite Lays Baked Ruffles), PB&J, Cereal;
7. Travel size - Horizon 2% milk (chocolate and white), Welch's White Grape Juice, Annie's fruit snacks, Goldfish, Starbucks Via Instant coffee, Coffeemate Instant Creamer (for me), and of course travel dishes, linens, and extra clothing all kept in a ready to go bag in my automobiles.
8. Water - I always have water with me in my stainless steel containers. My son and I use Kleen Kanteen products and now I use the 16 oz. insulated cup with the cafe top for nearly everything. For power outages we always keep a dozen or so bottles on hand in addition to a few gallons for the dogs and chickens.

Movies in My Romance Collection

Still adding to this collection. My main criteria is that it has to continue to move me over and over, whether it's to tears or just makes me laugh again and again.

The Notebook
The Proposal
Two Weeks Notice
Love Affair
Return to MeAdam's Rib
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
The Princess Bride
Shall We Dance
Catch and Release
No Reservations
The Legend of Zorro
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
You've Got Mail
Australia
Chasing Liberty
An American President
The Count of Monte Cristo
Pirates of the Carribean (series)
Matrix (series)
Underworld Revolution... what can I say, I like Sci-Fi too!
An American Werewolf in Paris
Twilight (series)

Must Have Movies for My Son

1) Land Before Time (series, especially with Chomper)
2) Lion King
3) Cars
4) Kung Fu Panda
5) The Heffalump Movie