In Kasie's Kare

OK, so I'm not starting a daycare or anything, BUT if I was that sure would be a cool name for it, huh?... 

I did start the childcare thing this week though & I must say I have had a wonderful week. I love being home with the kids & they seem to love it as well.. mom's not such a fuddy duddy after all... thank-you-very-much!

Meet Israel: 

I will be keeping him Monday-Thursday & occasional Fridays. He's one of my Bff's little boys. He has been such a good boy this week & we've had lots of fun hanging out with him. 

I decided it would be a good idea to start the day off with an outing or something fun around the house, then eat lunch & then nap time (time for me to study, blog, clean, sleep, whatever!) 

We had a great first week....

MONDAY: 

Went to the park to take grad pictures of my little bro & "just because" pictures of my mom (pictures to come).

Then we found the perfect spot for a picnic...

Then we fed the animals (no geese were involved... trust me!) ...

TUESDAY: 

Grocery Store... OK, not so fun, but when I told Israel that we were going to the grocery store & it may be a bit boring he said... "It's OK Ms. Kasie, I'll go to the grocery store with you everyday" He's such a sweety! 

WEDNESDAY: 

I met up with another one of my Bffs Robin (& her 5 kids) for a fun trip to the library. You should have seen us with all 9 kids... who says a library needs to be quiet?!? Not me! 

The kids signed up for the summer reading program, which has been the hot topic of discussion for Liv this week. She is very excited about this & has started her first book "Curious Goerge visits the library". 

After the library we came home & made pizzas for lunch. 

THURSDAY: 

We spent some time at the pool. 

FRIDAY: 

We didn't have Israel today. I watched my friend's 3 daughters this morning though. We made vanilla waffles & watched movies. 

This little doll... 

helped me stir the waffle mix... 

while bug washed the grapes...

What a great week! I know I've said it a million times, but I am so excited to be home this summer! Lots more summer fun pics to come! 

(I've also been doing a little bit of photo editing (www.picnik.com) Can you tell?) 

Mom's Tuesday Tips

This is my 50th blog... can somebody say YAY! My original intent was to have a nice place to come & keep track of memories for the kids as well as keep the grandparents & long distance family & friends in the loop. That is still the goal. However, in the process I have learned that this blogging thing is like therapy for me. It's my new hobby :) OK, maybe more that a mere hobby. Stephen's new nickname for me is "blogaholic". Sure the kids will have a place to come when they get older & reminisce (I seriously need to figure out how to back this thing up on my hard-drive) BUT I've also traveled through blog world & realized that there are so many other opportunities that come along with this blogging thing. So w/o further ado...

In honor of my decision to go back to work full time AND go back to school I introduce...

I need your help people. Seriously! My life is about to get pretty darn CrAzY. I know I have family & friends that read this & I have my faithful followers (all 6 of you ;)...) in blog world. But this non-domesticated "but trying really hard to become domesticated" mom needs your help. 

ANY mom , whether she is a working mom or a stay at home mom (which by the way, as far as I'm concerned is still considered a "working" mom), has her hands full & can use as much help as she can get. I know this blog carnival won't be as flashy & fun as most... I just hope that it will not only be helpful to me, but to you as well.

So what are your mommy tips? 

tip: (noun) a useful hint or idea; a basic, practical fact

money saving, time saving, family bonding... whatever you have found to be a blessing as a mom & want to pass along to others. I invite you to share...

Here goes... my 1st 

• We have instituted family date night. On Friday night SOMEONE goes out on a date. We take turns taking the older girls out (me & Maddy/ Stephen & Liv  & visa versa) It's nice to spend individual time with the girls... BUT we will also have mommy/daddy date nights so the girls can see that we love to spend time together as a couple as well. When you have a busy house full it can be easy not give as much individual time as you want... so having the schedule guarantees it. Its also a nice way to celebrate our family. The dates don't have to be expensive either. Here are some free date night ideas: Mickey Ds playland, reading books at Barnes & Noble, game night, take a walk & talk, bike riding, go to the mall & window shop,  crafts... what I've found is that it really doesn't matter what we do they just LOVE the alone time w/ us! 

• To save $ I make a WEEKLY menu before I go grocery shopping. The weekly menu helps b/c I can check the grocery sales & make my menu around the sales. I can also look at the weeks activities & plan around them.

• Here's a good "2 day dinner" idea:

Roast (a 3 pound roast works for us) 

Day 1: Roast w/ carrots & potatoes (slower cooker.. LOVE it!) 

Day 2: Roast tacos (shred the left over roast & mix w/ a little taco seasoning. Heat CORN tortilla in a little olive oil on the stovetop, eat the roast on the warm tortillas w/ fresh chopped cilantro, lime juice (roll the lime on the counter hard w/ your hand before you slice- somehow makes it juicier), salsa, shredded cheese & sour cream... YUMMY- This is a Linda specialty) 

• Subscribe to a fun online magazine... Oh, I know just the one, My friend Carmen just so happens to have one (how convenient) .... Check out Fresh Wind Here

• When things seem to get really hectic in the house & you really need a break just pull out the duct tape, tape the kids up & lock them in the closet. It works every time!... Um, OK, unfortunately that is considered child abuse... never-mind, scratch that last one 

OK, your turn! Watcha got? 

PS- despite all this blogging, Mom's Tuesday Tips logo making, lebanese food eating, clean sweep video editing & sock folding I've been doing lately ... I seriously am still looking for a job! Please say a little prayer... I know the right one is out there for me, daggonit!